Joan Waste and her Bible (Part 2)

Dear Boys and Girls,

Dear Boys and Girls,

In my last letter I began to tell you the story of Joan Waste, the little blind girl from Derby who had saved so hard to buy a Bible of her very own. Having now bought the Bible, she was faced with the problem of having it read to her. The best man to read to Joan was Master John Pemerton, but he was in jail! Joan was not daunted, however, and in the last letter we left her walking the narrow streets to the jail. Now, we go on from there … … … …

As Joan sat in that cold, damp prison listening to the Bible being read, she would pay very great heed to all that was said. Little by little she came to know whole chapters of the gospel by heart and she would say them over and over to herself as she sat knitting away at the socks. How happy she was to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ and to carry his Word – the Bible – wherever she went; but all that was soon going to change. You see, boys and girls, in the days when Joan bought her Bible there was a very Godly young King ruling on the Throne of England; his name was Edward. But this young King died and a new ruler came to the throne whose name was Mary. Queen Mary refused to allow ordinary people like Joan to have a Bible of their own and one day Joan was arrested and put into the prison. She was told that she must give up the Bible and all that she had learnt from it, but she said,“"I believe all that I have learnt in God's own Book, the Holy Scriptures, and I will not give up my Bible, or my love for Christ; I would rather give up my life.”

Queen Mary was a cruel Queen, boys and girls, who hated the true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Joan Waste was taken and had to give up her life for Christ. She was burnt to death. She wanted to remain faithful to Jesus, no matter what it cost her, even her life.

I trust that each one of you boys and girls will think as highly of God's Word as Joan did, even though you may never be asked to do what Joan did, and suffer in that way for it. But, I trust that you will learn to love all the wonderful truths found in the Bible, and especially, that you will learn to love the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart.