God’s Gift Undervalued

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Some years since the managers of a Young Men’s Christian Association missed a great opportunity by not knowing the value of a certain painting. A friend of the institution had given a picture for the walls of the building, not having suitable room for it in his own home. One day he offered to sell it to them, asking fifty dollars for it. When they declined the offer he said they might have it for twenty-five dollars; but they still declined to purchase it. Not long afterwards he died. In disposing of the estate his executors took the picture from the building and sent it to a picturemart. There it was soon recognized as the work of a master and finally identified. Thirty-five thousand dollars was offered for it, and later fifteen thousand more. Fifty thousand for a picture once offered for twenty-five dollars!

How forcibly that illustrates the way men underestimate the value of religion. They think it is good for the low, the poor, the weak, the dying, not realizing that it is needful to live by, that it is the greatest need of man and the most valuable gift of God.

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