| Things to Live For |
Chapter 1 |
Page 4 |
The lesson many be broken up a little. It is worth while to make sacrifices of love in order to do good. In India they tell the story of the Golden Palace. Sultan Ahmed was a great king. He sent Yakoob, the most skillful of his builders, with a large sum of money, to erect in the mountains of snow the most splendid palace ever seen. Yakoob went to the place, and found a great famine prevailing among the people. Many were dying. Instead of building the palace, he took the money, and gave it to buy bread for the starving people. At length Ahmed came to see his palace, and there was no palace there. He sent for Yakoob and learned his story, then grew very angry, and cast the builder into chains. “Tomorrow thou shalt die: he said; “ for thou hast robbed thy king.” But that night Ahmed has a wonderful dream. There came to him one in shining garments, who said, “ Follow me.” Up they soared from earth till they came to heaven’s gate. They entered, and lo, there stood a palace of pure gold, more brilliant than the sun! “ What palace is this?” asked Ahmed. His guide answered, “This is the palace of Merciful Deeds, built for thee by Yakoob the wise. Its glory shall endure when all earth’s things have passed away.” Then the king understood that Yakoob had done wisely with his money.
It is only a heathen legend but its teaching is true. If we are doing true work, we need not concern ourselves about visible results. Though in self denying life we build no palaces on earth, we are piling far nobler walls beyond the skies. The money we give in service and sacrifice of helpfulness may add nothing to our bank account; but it is laid up as treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
It is worth while to turn away from our own cherished plans any hour to do the things of love that God may send to our hand. It is not easy for us to have our own ways broken into. We do not like to have our pleasures and our congenial occupations interrupted by calls to do services for others. Yet no doubt these very things are ofttimes the most splendid things of all that our hands find to do. They are fragments of God’s will breaking into the schedule of our own will, pieces of angel ministry to which we are called in the midst of our worldly work.
Page 4