“You are a good lad, for you have the fear of God before your eyes. Take as many apples as you like; you are welcome to them.” Had the boy not resisted the temptation to steal, he would probably have been punished. How useful the remembrance of God’s omniscience; it deters from sin and averts the consequences of sin.
The Bag of Pearls
A traveler having lost his way in the desert, wandered about for two days and nights without anything to eat or drink. At length he reached a tree, beside which a clear spring welled up. He quenched his thirst with a draught of water, but to his disappointment there was not a single fruit upon the tree. Close to the spring, however, lay a small bag; he took it up and gave thanks to God, for apparently it was full of pease which some former traveler had left there. But a fresh disappointment awaited him, for on opening the bag he found it contained a number of valuable pearls worth a large sum of money, yet useless to him, as they could not appease his hunger. Kneeling on the ground, he besought almighty God to come to his aid. Before long he descried a man mounted on a camel, coming towards him with all speed. This was the owner of the pearls, who had left them lying beside the spring. His joy at recovering his lost property was indescribable. He took compassion on the famished traveler, gave him bread and dates, and took him upon his camel. He too was a Christian, for he said: Here we see the good providence of God. He caused me