Now I am thinking of another big store, a truly big store, the great big store of Life.  We have to visit at this store whether we want to or not.  It is not a matter of choice but of necessity.  Every morning you visit the big store of Life.  Every evening you return home with what you have bought.

Not only must you visit this store but you must also buy.  When you visit Wanamaker’s you do not have to buy unless you choose.  In the big store of Life, however, you have no choice in the matter, you must buy.  What must you buy?  Well, you may buy anything you choose.  This is the beautiful thing about the big store of Life—­while we are compelled to buy we are permitted to choose.  We must also pay.

“Good morning, John, what would you like to buy this morning.”

“I think I’ll buy a good geography lesson.”

“All right, you can buy that, but you must pay the price.”

“What is the price?”

“Study, earnest study.  Never leave the preparation until the last minute or trust to luck.”

Yes, it is true, right on through every department in the big store of
Life, you can buy whatsoever you choose, but you must pay the price.

MEMORY VERSE, Philippians 4:  8

“Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ... think on these things.”

MEMORY HYMN [332]

    "Thou my everlasting portion."

BREAD

I have here a loaf of bread.  This is good-looking bread, is it not?  I can almost hear you say, “Please pass the bread.”  That is, I hope you say that.  I hope you do not say, “Gimme the bread.”

Now every girl and boy here knows what it is to be hungry, I’m sure of that.  And when one is real hungry there is nothing that tastes as good as bread.  Of course there should be some butter, or jam, or peanut butter spread over the top—­my, it makes the mouth water, doesn’t it!

We speak of bread as the staff of life because we could not be strong in body if we did not have bread.  We love ice cream and cake, meat and potatoes, and many other things, but our meal is not properly balanced unless there is a plate of bread on the table.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  I think this has a twofold meaning.  It refers to our physical hunger and our spiritual needs.  All bread comes from the Father above, our Father of love.  Do you remember those beautiful lines,

    “Back of the loaf is the snowy flour,
    And back of the flour, the mill;
    And back of the mill, the seed, and the sun, and the shower,
      And the Father’s will.”

Jesus once spoke of himself as the Bread sent down from above.  Our Father gives us daily bread for our physical needs, and he has also sent us Christ for our spiritual strength.  My dear young people, take him as your Saviour.