Weekly Reading: Chapter 9

+Downloadable study guide questions below!

Hi all, Rainey here! Welcome back to Character in Crisis!

Today I am excited to write about one of my favorite chapters. Last week, Tip faced his first great temptation and came out victorious! This week, a seemingly insignificant school assignment brings him to the end of himself once more. Mr. Burrows has asked the class to write an acrostic using every letter of their name.

“Tip went home in a tumult. What could he do? He had never written a composition in his life, having made it a point to run away from school on composition day; but running away was done with now. It didn’t seem possible that he could write anything; certainly not in such a new way as Mr. Burrows wished.”

Ah! This was Tip’s first mistake—to think that it was nigh impossible for him to write such an assignment. Do not the Scriptures tell us that with God all things are possible? Did not Mr. Holbrook say, “No matter how dark the road might be, this Lamp will be a light unto your path—if you’re willing to use it.”

“Tip thought of his words very often, had already proved them true more than once; he didn’t see how it could help him now.”

Tip puzzled over where to begin and decided to open his Lamp.

“…it couldn’t write his composition, that was certain. But oh, the bright thought that came to Tip just then! Why not find his acrostic in the Bible and write it out?”

No sooner had the idea entered our hero’s mind, when doubts and fears rushed in, eager to gain possession of the young believer.

“What would the boys think? What would Bob turner say? Still, what else could he do?”

It is at this point that his poverty becomes a blessing in disguise, for besides some aged school workbooks, his Bible is the only book he owns. Now is the time for Tip to show his true colors.

“‘I don’t care,’ he said suddenly, after a few moments of troubled thought. ‘I guess I ain’t ashamed of my Bible,—it’s the only thing I’ve got that I needn’t be ashamed of. I’ll do it. The boys have got to know that I’ve turned over a new leaf; I wish they did; the sooner they know it the better. I say, my lamp shall help me out of this scrape, that’s as true as can be; it helps me whenever I give it a try.’”

Fast forward several days to when the entire class must have their acrostics read aloud. After slaving over his assignment under the old elm tree, Tip was terrified! Mr. Burrows began reading several of the compositions. Cleverly crafted lines from Virgil and Shakespeare drew eager applause and admiration from the class. Then, Mr. Burrows reached for a familiar sheet of paper from the stack. Tip’s heart beat furiously as the schoolteacher cleared his throat and read aloud the following words:

“What Jesus Christ Says:

E  Even the night shall be light about thee.

D  Depart from evil and do good.

W  Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.

A  A new heart will I give you.

R  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

D  Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to thee.

L  Lo, I am with you alway.

E  Ever follow that which is good.

W  Whosoever abideth in Him, sinneth not.

I  I will go before thee, and make the crooked paths straight.

S  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper.”

It was over. Mr. Burrows set the paper down on the table as unexpected moisture filled his eyes. There was no laughter, no applause, nothing. A strange sense of awe and wonder filled the room.

As for Tip? Into his heart crept some of the beauty of those precious words. He had finished his assignment—one from man, but ultimately, from God.

As we go about the rest of this week, may we, like Tip, turn to our Lamp and find the answers we seek.

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

*Goodbye!