Grades 5–8 Ask…(4)

What does “in the. evening hour of their life” mean?

This expression speaks about someone who is elderly, that is, about seventy years or older. Just as the evening is near the end of the day, so when we become old we enter the “evening” time of life.

Of course, we can also be “in the evening hour of our life” when we are young without knowing it. Boys and girls can also die. But when we have become old, we know that we must soon die. The evening has certainly come.

I hope, dear boys and girls, that you will ask the Lord for grace to seek Him while you are young. Life is so short, and we never know when our death-day will dawn. Therefore we are told by Jesus to be “always ready” to meet the Lord.

A sixth grader came to me one day and said: “I try so hard to be converted and sometimes I almost feel converted, but after Sunday is gone it seems that no matter how hard I try, I just can’t be converted.”

And to be ready, as you know, means we have to have a new heart. Of course, a new heart is not something we can give to ourselves. The Lord must work this in us by His precious Holy Spirit. But I wonder, boys and girls, have you ever tried to be converted? All God’s people have tried to be converted in their lives, but have learned that only God can do this for them.

A few years ago, a sixth grader came to me one day and said: “Could you please help me? I have a problem I can’t figure out. When I come to church on Sunday, I try so hard to be converted and sometimes I almost feel converted, but after Sunday is gone it seems that no matter how hard I try, I just can’t be converted.”

Do you know what I told this sixth grader? I said, “My dear friend, I am glad you have this problem. It is a good problem, because if you could convert yourself that would be a bad sign. You may be surprised to know that I have the same problem as you. But the only thing I can do is bring all my needs to the Lord and ask Him to do for me what I can’t do for myself.”

Boys and girls, let me encourage you to bring everything to the Lord—all your needs, cares, and problems — but especially the greatest problem: “How shall I be converted and find God?” I pray that you, too, may learn to pray: “Lord, give me a new heart. Do for me what I can’t do for myself.”

How did blind Bartimeans know that Jesus was the Son of God?

The Holy Spirit taught him. We need that same Spirit to teach us in our hearts. James tells us that we should ask the Lord to teach us (read James 1:5–6). Will you try to do that?

What is a span and a cubit?

A span is a measurement of about eight or nine inches. It is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger on an adult hand, when the hand is extended and the fingers stretched as far apart as possible. Do you know how long your span is?

A cubit is about twice as long as a span — about seventeen or eighteen inches. A cubit is the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger of the typical adult. How long is your cubit?

The Bible tells us that Goliath was six cubits and a span tall (1 Sam. 17:4). How tall was he in terms of our measurements of feet and inches?

Is it possible for a person who sinned all his life to be converted near his death?

Yes, this is possible because salvation is a free gift of God’s grace. Think only of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43).

But it’s not very common. The best time to seek the Lord is always now—whether we are young or old — before it is forever too late, because death usually comes before we expect it. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 3:7b-8a). “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep” (Rom. 13:11b). “Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Is. 55:6).

Forward questions intended for this department to: Rev. J.R. Beeke, 2115 Romence St. N.E., Grand Rapids, Ml 49503. Questions will be published anonymously.

The best time to seek the Lord is always now—whether we are young or old—before it is forever too late, because death usually comes before we expect it.

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