Volume 64, Number 35 Distribute AUGUST 29, 2020

A Crabby Camping Trip

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me that if God created such a beautiful sight for us here, heaven will be so much better because He is there.”

Later that night Josh and Grandpa built up the campfire and spread their bedrolls nearby. “Wish I had thought to bring sheets of plastic to put under your bedrolls,” Grandpa said.

Grandma and Grandpa slept on cots in the middle with Tiffani on one side and Josh on the other. Trixie strolled over and plopped down by Tiffani, who must have gone to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Soon Josh heard Grandma’s gentle snore and Grandpa’s loud one. But he could not sleep.

The stars were bright overhead, but darkness was all around except for the soft glow of the dying campfire. Out of the corner of his eye, Josh saw something move near him. The small creature skittered sideways

and waved a claw. Josh’s neck tingled. Crabs! More creatures ran across the sand. Trixie jumped up and walked around Tiffani’s bed. Tiffani never stirred.

Trixie is not paying any attention to protecting me. Shows how important I am, a tired, sleepy, and unhappy Josh thought to himself. He turned over on his other side. Several crabs ran and jumped into holes.

Josh was afraid to go to sleep. A crab pinched him, and it hurt! What if they get into my eyes? Or my nose or mouth? I thought this place was almost heaven. If so, it is crab heaven!

He looked at his sister. She slept peacefully because Trixie kept the crabs away. What would happen if I moved over by Tiffani? Maybe Trixie would watch over me too.

Quietly, Josh moved his sleeping bag close to his sister. Trixie sniffed at him and continued chasing away crabs. Trixie kept

them away from Josh too.

With a sigh of relief, Josh laid down his head and closed his eyes. He breathed a prayer, “Thank You, Jesus, for caring for me. Thank You for Trixie who loves me too.”

He could hardly wait for morning to tell Grandma and Grandpa how Trixie reminded him of God’s protection.

A Crabby Camping TripNeoma Foreman

Josh dashed into the family room where his younger sister was reading a picture

book. “Tiffani, we get to go camping on the beach with Grandma and Grandpa!”

“No, I’m going to kindergarten!” Tiffani hurried to the kitchen. “Are we really going camping?” she asked her mom. “I want to go to school. Besides what will happen to Trixie?”

Mom wiped her hands on a towel. “We are going to Florida. Grandpa and Grandma are there. They will watch you and your brother. I will visit my grandpa in the hospital. We will stay a couple of nights and be back before school starts.” Mom turned back to her work but called over her shoulder. “You can take Trixie.”

That evening they loaded the van and began the long trip to Florida. Dad drove all night while the children slept. The early morning sun shone on the water as they arrived at a Florida beach.

Tiffani ran to greet her grandparents. Trixie followed right behind her. Josh and his parents followed, bringing the bedrolls and luggage.

Grandma and Grandpa met them with hugs. “So good to see you!” they said.

“I’m glad we could come.” Dad looked at Tiffani and Trixie standing near the water’s edge. Waves lapped lazily onto the smooth shore. “She is already looking for shells.” Dad smiled.

“We should head to the hospital,” Mom said, giving the children hugs goodbye.

Grandma got a loaf of bread and some butter. “Here, butter the bread and toast

it while I cook the eggs. I’m sure you are hungry.”

“Starving!” Josh said, rubbing his tummy.Grandpa smiled and handed them some

wooden sticks. “Put the bread on these and hold them over the fire. It makes wonderful toast.”

Josh held his stick over the fire as he watched the waves lifting in white, foamy peaks. “This place is wonderful.”

Grandpa sat on his campstool by the fire. “It’s good to get out in God’s creation and enjoy what He has made for us,” he said.

When breakfast was finished and the dishes washed, Grandma covered Josh and Tiffani with sunscreen lotion and shooed them toward the beach. “Go have fun. I’m going to read my Bible, and I can see you from here.” She pointed to a canopy they had set up to keep out of the sun.

Josh and Tiffani ran to the beach. The sand was cool and soft, squishing between their toes. They made sandcastles and watched the tide sweep them away.

After lunch, they spent the afternoon trying to outrun the waves before they reached the shore. Grandma called for them to come and have family worship before they ate their evening meal.

Grandpa read from his Bible while Tiffani and Josh sat in the sand at his feet. He closed his Bible and looked across the water as the sun cast beautiful colors over the water. “God is so good. He is always watching out for us and cares for us.”

Grandma put her arm across Josh’s shoulders. “This beautiful scene reminds

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Published weekly by Pacific Press® Publishing Association, a Seventh- day Adventist Publisher, 1350 North Kings Road, Nampa, ID 83687-3193, USA. Single sub scription rate in the United States and its possessions: $39.35 for one year. To other countries: $47.35. All prices at US exchange. Periodicals postage paid at Nampa, Idaho. For change of address, send both old and new addresses. Postmaster: Send address changes to Primary Treasure®, PO Box 5353, Nampa, ID 83653-5353.Credits: Scriptures credited to NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Texts credited to NIrV are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION®, copyright © 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scriptures credited to ICB are quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999,

2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission. Scriptures marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Bible picture story (p. 13) is written by Linda Porter Carlyle. The Sabbath School lesson (pp. 14, 15) is provided by the General Conference Sabbath School Department. Illustrations and photos are from Kim and Lars Justinen of Justinen Creative Group, iStockphoto, or Getty Images.Emails & letters: anita.seymour@pacificpress.com Primary Treasure ® Editor, PO Box 5353, Nampa, ID 83653-5353. Websites: primarytreasure.com; pacificpress.com; adventistbookcenter.com.Copyright © 2020 by Pacific Press® Publishing Association. Printed in USA.

VOLUME 64, NUMBER 35 AUGUST 29, 2020

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(ISSN 0032-8316)

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New Shoes and a New School

Holly Elaine Hayton

April rode in the car with her mom and dad. They were on their way to an open

house at April’s new school. April would start third grade the next week. April decided to wear her new school shoes, which were a present from her mom. They were purple with yellow flowers on the toes. April forgot to hold her feet still and started kicking the seat in front of her.

“Please don’t kick,” Mom reminded April.“Sorry,” April said. She felt butterflies in

her stomach as she looked out the window. The new school was farther away from her house than the old school. “Mom, what if I don’t like this new school?”

“Well,” Mom said, “it’s important to give it a chance. Dad and I think that you will really like the teachers, and we like that you will have Bible classes. And won’t it be nice not to worry about parties or games on the Sabbath?”

At April’s old school, her friends usually had their birthday parties on Saturday. She

had also missed the jog-a-thon and the school soccer games that had been held on Sabbath.

“Yes,” April said. “That does sound nice.”“I remember when I had to switch

schools,” Dad said as he turned the car into a parking space. “I was about your age. It was scary at first, but I made friends that I still have today.”

April didn’t answer. She was looking at the two-story school and the red logo on the front of the school. A black iron fence separated the classrooms from the parking lot, but the gate was open. A sign stating, “Welcome students!” stood nearby.

“OK,” Dad said. “We are going to visit the third-grade classroom. Your teacher’s name is Mrs. McCary.”

“Mrs. McHairy,” April whispered.“What did you say?” Dad asked.“Mrs. McScary,” April said louder.Dad smiled. “It might feel that way,” he

said. “But you are a very brave girl. Would you like to hold my hand?”

“OK,” April said, “but only until we get to the gate.” She held Dad’s hand, and they walked across the parking lot. Mom took a map from a table by the welcome sign. There were two rows of classrooms, separated by grass and trees. April saw a bush of white roses, and dandelions pushed up between the cracks in the sidewalk.

“It’s pretty,” Mom said. “What do you think?”

“It is pretty,” April said quietly. They passed a classroom with an open door, and April saw a couple of older kids playing a game. They were laughing.

“That is the sixth-graders’ room,” Mom said. “This one up here is marked third grade.” Mom pointed, and April saw the number three painted on an open door. She let go of Dad’s hand.

Mrs. McCary was shorter than Mom and had a friendly face with wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “You must be April,” she

76

said. “I’m so happy to meet you!”April felt shy. “Nice to meet you too,” she

said. Green alphabet wallpaper decorated the classroom. Rows of desks stood neatly next to bookshelves and cubbies. At the back of the room, April saw three beanbag chairs and a reading loft. She was the only kid in the room.

“Do you have any questions for me?” Mrs. McCary asked.

April shook her head.“Well,” Mom said as she gently

placed a hand on April’s shoulder, “I think April is feeling a bit nervous about starting a new school.”

“It makes sense to be nervous,” Mrs. McCary said. “New experiences can seem scary at first. But I think we will have a good time together! Here comes Kelly and her parents. Why don’t I introduce you?”

Kelly had curly brown hair and cute freckles. “Hi, April,” she said. “Are you new? I’ve been here for two years.”

“Hi,” April replied. “This is my first year here. I used to go to a school closer to where I live.”

“I did, too, but I moved here after kindergarten. I like it!” Kelly smiled.

April didn’t know what to say next. She looked down at her feet. She and Kelly were wearing the same purple shoes! “I like your shoes!” April smiled.

“We have the same ones!” Kelly exclaimed. “Purple is my favorite color.”

“Mine too,” April said.“Do you want me to show you the

reading loft?” Kelly asked.“Is it OK if I go?” April asked her

parents.“Of course,” Mom replied.When it was time to leave, Mom poked

her head into the loft. “Time to go, April,” Mom said.

“OK,” April said. “I will see you on Monday, Kelly!” She and Kelly hugged goodbye. As April left with Mom and Dad, she saw other kids walking toward the

classroom and wondered which of them would be her classmates

and her new friends.“What did you think?”

Dad asked when they were back in the car.

“It wasn’t too scary after all,” April said. “And it’s nice to have a friend so that I won’t feel alone

on Monday.”“Kelly seems like a very

nice girl,” Dad said. “But April, I hope you know that you

are never really alone. Jesus goes with you wherever you go.”

“Kelly is your second friend at the new school,” Mom said. She smiled at April. “Joshua one, nine says, ‘Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. So don’t be afraid. The Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.’ And April, God will be with you when you start your new school on Monday.”

“I think God was with me today,” April said thoughtfully. “I prayed that I wouldn’t feel scared. I was nervous, but I met my teacher and made a friend. Now I’m not scared.”

“That’s true,” Dad said. “And it looks like you both have great taste in shoes!”

Willow’s New SisterLeann Austin

W illow had lived alone with her dad for three years before he married Athena’s

mom. Willow was happy to have a new sister. They became best friends.

“Are you excited to go back to school tomorrow?” Willow hung her head over the top bunk to look at Athena. It was the last day of their summer vacation.

“Kind of.” Athena shrugged her shoulders.

Willow jumped down and sat next to Athena on her bed. “You don’t sound so sure.”

“I have had the best summer ever. I don’t want it to end,” Athena explained.

“Yeah, me too,” Willow agreed.“And a new school is a little scary. I went

to the same school my whole life,” Athena added.

“I know what you mean. I had to change schools once. But Dad called and made sure we got the same teacher. We will be together,” Willow assured her sister.

“Your dad is so nice. I’m glad my mom married him,” Athena said.

“Me too.” Willow bumped shoulders with Athena.

“Do you think your friends will like me?” Athena pulled dresses from her closet.

“Of course! You are cool! And you are my sister. My friends will be your friends.” Willow picked up the dresses Athena threw to the floor. “Don’t you like these?”

“Yes, but they aren’t first-day-of-school worthy. I need something special,” Athena said.

“We are the same size. You can wear something of mine if you want,” Willow offered.

“I love the yellow dress with white polka dots.” Athena grinned.

“You can wear it if you want. And—” Willow held up a pink flowered one-piece romper. “Maybe you will let me wear this one?”

“Sure.” Athena giggled.Athena’s mom drove them to school

the next day. “You two have a great day. I love you both.” She kissed each girl on the forehead.

“Mom!” Athena looked around the schoolyard. “Not on the first day at a new school!”

Willow nudged Athena. “Thanks, Mom.” Willow hugged Mom around the waist.

“See you after school, girls.” Mom smiled. “I love saying that: girls.”

“OK, Mom.” Athena waved and walked quickly to the school door.

Willow gave her stepmom one more hug and whispered, “I’m grateful to have a mom to hug and kiss my forehead. Love you!” she said, running to catch up with Athena.

Willow led the way to their classroom. They took seats next to each other and talked excitedly about school.

“Uh, hmm.” A voice next to Willow got her attention.

“Hey Jaxon. What’s up? Did you have a good summer?” Willow smiled at her friend.

“You might know if you had returned any of my messages,” Jaxon complained.

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“What is the matter with your voice?” Willow eyed him. He didn’t sound like his bubbly old self.

“Nothing is the matter.” He pushed his hands deep into his pockets. “Who is your new friend?” He stared at Athena.

“Athena is my sister,” she spoke quietly.

“Be extra nice to her. It’s her first day at a new school.”

“What? She can’t be your sister. She is—” Jaxon fumbled for words.

“What, Jaxon? Too quiet to be my sister?” Willow laughed.

“No. Although, I don’t think anyone talks as much as you do.” Jaxon looked down at the green-tiled floor.

“Too tall then?” Willow tapped her pencil on her desk.

“No.” Jaxon shook his head. “But you are much shorter than she is.”

Willow wrinkled her forehead. “Her mom and my dad got married over the summer, so that makes her my new sister. Even with our differences.”

Jaxon snorted, then leaned close to

Willow when he spoke. “She is not like you.”“Well, no. She is like herself.” Willow

looked pointedly at Jaxon.“No, that’s not—” Jaxon ran a hand

through his curly hair. “Never mind.” Jaxon went to his desk and slumped into his chair.

During recess, Athena met Willow’s friends, Nevaeh and Peyton.

“I’m going to have an end-of-summer pool party this weekend,” Nevaeh said, trying to catch her breath after doing cartwheels.

“You two will have to come. It will be a fun way for Athena to get to know everyone.”

“Sure.” Willow smiled. “If Dad and Mom say it’s OK, and I’m pretty sure they will.”

“Great!” Nevaeh said.“Willow, is it weird sharing your room

after being the only kid for so long?” Peyton asked.

“No, it’s nice having someone to talk to at night.” Willow looked over to see Jaxon and a couple of kids from their class staring at her and whispering. “What is up with Jaxon?”

Nevaeh and Peyton looked away from her.

“Come on. What am I missing?” Willow asked.

None of them spoke. Their smiles had turned upside down.

“Then I will go ask him myself.” Willow stomped off toward Jaxon’s group of laughing friends. She put her hands on her hips and stared at Jaxon with the look she gave her dog when he had an accident on the rug.

Jaxon stopped laughing. “What is your problem, Willow?”

She scowled. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I don’t have a problem,” he said.His friends laughed. “What?” Willow demanded.“It’s just that your sister—” one of the

boys started to speak.Jaxon nudged the boy hard. “Be quiet,

Landon.” “Your sister doesn’t match the rest of

your family,” Chris blurted out, then stepped back before Jaxon could reach him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Willow asked, looking confused.

“Your skin is dark. Her skin is light. You don’t look like sisters.” Jaxon shrugged.

“Jaxon, are you mad at me for not calling

you this summer? Dad and Mom took us to the beach for a couple of weeks. Then we helped Willow and her mom pack and move their stuff into our house. I didn’t have a lot of time.”

“I’m not mad. It’s just that, well, like Chris said. You don’t match up like a family should.” Jaxon looked down at his shoes.

Willow shook her head. “You mean like a family should love each other? Well, we do. And I love having a mom again. She tucks me in, kisses my forehead, and cuts my sandwiches into four squares.”

Athena came and stood next to Willow and put an arm around her shoulder. “I love my sister—and having a dad. He cleans and bandages my knees when I fall off my bike. And he taught me to love everyone because God made us all.”

“You see, Jaxon? God does not look at the outside. He looks at our hearts,” Willow added. “And so should we.”

Jaxon and his friends looked away and said nothing.

“It’s OK, Willow. Let’s just go.” Athena tugged Willow’s elbow to lead her away.

While Athena and Willow waited for Mom to pick them up after school, Jaxon walked to the maple tree where they sat. Willow looked up and sighed. “What now, Jaxon?”

“I’m sorry, Willow and Athena.” Jaxon sat next to them. “All afternoon I couldn’t stop thinking about what you said to me.” He pulled a blade of grass. “Can you forgive me?”

“I forgive you, Jaxon.” Athena said.Willow’s shoulders dropped. “Yeah, of

course, I forgive you, Jaxon.”Jaxon smiled. “You gained a new sister,

and I gained a new friend. At least, I hope I did.”

Athena nodded. “Of course, you did.”

Just the Right Thing to Say

Debbonnaire Kovacs

The Far-Away Friends are pen pals with Joseph and Mac. This year the Far-Away Friends will help you understand what your Sabbath School lesson can mean for you.

M ichael Arthur Patterson had a whole herd of kangaroos jumping around his insides.

The Primary friends had done so well with their program in the city park a few weeks earlier that they had decided to do it again. The church had a booth at the county fair, and the grown-ups in charge were delighted to let the Primaries put on a program Sabbath afternoon.

So Kenya, Susannah, and Matt had worked hard perfecting their puppet stage and show. Solly had learned the Lord’s Prayer in a fourth language. Now he could say it in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish. Mike had practiced “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” on his recorder until he could almost play it backward. That wasn’t what he was nervous about. He had to speak again!

The others had insisted. “You did such a great job the first time!

God has given you the gift of speaking!”So Mike sat in the back of the church

booth, mentally going over and over his speech, until Susannah interrupted him.

“Are you nervous, Mike?”“Nervous! I’m scared to death! How

many people will there be?” Mike groaned.

“Oh, I’m sure there won’t be that big a crowd,” Susannah reassured him. “Anyway, look at it this way. You can’t see them, so they can’t scare you.”

“That’s what you think!”“Well, pretend you are just talking to

me then. Are you going to give that same talk about us being Jesus’ flower gardens?” Susannah asked. “That was cool!”

“Thanks, but no. Mr. Fontaine and I were talking the other day about God’s love being a light in the darkness. You know, like in our Sabbath School lesson a couple of weeks ago? I think I want to talk about that this time.”

“Well, I’m sure you will be great. Don’t get all stressed out over it. Remember what Ms. Kimoto always says—we are just God’s messengers. The success is His business. Thank goodness! I’m a little nervous, too, to tell you the truth,” Susannah admitted.

Soon it was time for the program. Mike might not be able to see the crowd, but he could hear them. It sounded like enough people to fill the church! “Jesus,” he whispered, “just let me be Your messenger.”

Susannah greeted everyone who had gathered in front of the booth. “Sorry we don’t have enough straw bales for all of you to sit down, but the show won’t be very long. We hope you enjoy it. First, our class will sing some songs we learned in Sabbath School.”

As he took his place, Mike could feel his hands shaking. Not enough straw bales? Just how big was this crowd?

As they sang, he began to calm down. This was the easy part. And after all, Jesus was the one in charge. At least they wouldn’t

Far-Away Friends be arrested, like Paul and the other apostles!The puppet show was next. Mike heard

a lot of laughter and clapping and relaxed a little more—which was a good thing because he had to play after the puppet show. Shaky hands don’t play the recorder very well!

He heard Susannah say, “Now, Mike Patterson will play something for you on his recorder. After that, he has something he’d like to share with you.”

Kenya led Mike to the microphone and left him there.

“I’m going to play a melody taken from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It’s called ‘Ode to Joy,’ but you have probably heard of it as ‘Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.’ The instrument I’ll be playing is called a recorder. It’s a very ancient kind of vertical flute and has been played for many centuries.” His heart was beating quickly again, but he made only one mistake, so that was pretty good. The people clapped again.

Then Mike cleared his throat and said, “Now, I have something I would like to share with you.” As he told the story of Saul on the road to Damascus, the people listened quietly. He couldn’t tell if they liked it or not, but it didn’t sound as if they were all walking away.

“When Saul was persecuting the Christians, he was doing what he really thought God wanted him to do. But the Holy Spirit was working on his heart. After a while, he must have realized that he was wrong. But if he became a Christian, it meant admitting he had been wrong all along. That is really hard to do, I think. It must be even harder for

a strong, smart person like Saul. But Jesus appeared to him on the road that day and gave him three days of blindness to think about things.”

Mike laughed a little. “I can tell you, living in the dark gives you lots

of time to think!” He heard a little commotion but didn’t know

what it meant. So he went on. “Saul decided he wanted

to follow Jesus more than anything. When he did, God’s love shone into his heart like a ray of light. I

think that, even if God had not healed him of his blindness,

he would have loved God till he died. I hope

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Spreading the WordDIRECTIONS: Circle the boats that are named for the places that Paul and Barnabas traveled to in this week’s lesson.Puzzle

you know that God’s love is like light in your darkness. He loves you, and He wants you to love Him back.”

With a gulp of relief, Mike turned away from the microphone. He expected Kenya to appear to lead him back to his seat in the back of the booth, but there was an even bigger stir, with people whispering and talking. He turned around anxiously.

“Here, Mike,” Susannah whispered, taking his arm. “Stay here for a second. Ladies and gentlemen, we will close with prayer.” After she prayed, Susannah led Mike to the back of the booth.

“What’s going on?” he asked her.“Nairobi Washington and some of her

friends were watching the program, and now she is crying. I’m going to go and—oh, here is Nairobi now.”

“Mike, I want to thank you.”Mike recognized Kenya’s sister’s voice

and was surprised when she took his hand firmly.

“You were so right. Sometimes you know what is right, but you don’t want it to be right. It’s not like you disobey deliberately. I didn’t say, ‘No, God, I don’t want to do Your will.’ It’s just—I didn’t—oh, I don’t know how to say what I mean, but I’m going to be baptized. And Mike, you are right! It’s like a light in the darkness! I have to go find my parents!”

Standing there with his mouth open, Mike heard her run away and then felt Kenya’s arms practically strangling him. “Thank you, Mike, thank you!”

“OK, OK, you don’t have to choke me to death!” Mike said, embarrassed. “Anyway, God did it. I was just His messenger.”

His hands were shaking again but not from nerves. All he could think was, Wow, God!

Spreading the Word

One day the Holy Spirit sent Paul and Barnabas to do some

special work for Jesus. Paul and Barnabas got on a boat and sailed to an island

called Cyprus. They taught everywhere. Many people heard the good news about

Jesus. Finally, the governor invited Paul and Barnabas to visit him. But a man

named Elymas, one of the governor’s helpers, told the governor to pay no attention

to Paul and Barnabas. Paul looked at Elymas. “ You are an enemy of

everything good! The Lord is going to punish you. You will not be able to see

anything for a while—not even the sun!” Elymas was instantly blind! So the governor

listened to Paul and Barnabas, and he soon believed. Paul and Barnabas traveled

to many places. They told everyone they met about Jesus.

This story can teach me that God sends us as messengers of His grace.

Lesson 9, for August 29–September 4, 2020

1312

Memory Verse“The Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul

for the work to which I have called them’ ”

(Acts 13:2, NIV).

The Message: God sends us as messengers of His grace.

References: Acts 13:1–12; The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 166–169.

Spreading the Word

Have you ever been on a long trip? How did you travel? Paul and Barnabas were sent on a special trip—a trip to tell others of God’s grace. But not everyone was happy as they preached. Read on to discover what happened.

P aul and Barnabas had worked together in

Antioch for a year. They kept busy teaching, preach-ing, and helping people. And the church in Antioch grew and grew.

One day some of the members were fasting and praying. They were asking God to guide them and to tell them what He wanted them to do. While they were

praying, the Holy Spirit spoke to them. He said, “I have called Paul and Barnabas to do a special work for Me. Place your hands on them. Then pray for them and send them off to tell the good news in other places.”

Everyone was sad when they heard that Paul and Barnabas were

going away. But they also wanted others to hear

about Jesus. So the Antioch

believers fasted and prayed. Then they gathered for a special prayer

meeting. The elders

in the church laid

hands on Paul and Barnabas and

prayed for them. Then they sent them on their way.

Paul and Barnabas took a young man,

Lesson 9, for August 29–September 4, 2020*

* Note to parents: For an explanation of the distribution dates for Primary Treasure®, go to the parents’ sec-tion of our website: www.primarytreasure.com.

John Mark, with them. He would learn from them and help them in their work. The three of them caught a boat at the port of Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus. They traveled across the island, stopping at all the Jewish synagogues and teaching everyone who would listen.

Soon they moved on to Paphos, on the other side of the island. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet called Bar-Jesus, or Elymas. He was an important man and one of the Roman proconsul’s (governor’s) attendants.

Cyprus was not a huge island, so news of strangers traveled fast. The proconsul soon heard about Paul and his companions. He was curious to hear the Word of God. Elymas was not happy about that. He was afraid that he would lose his influence with the proconsul. So he tried to turn the proconsul against Paul and his friends.

But the Holy Spirit showed Paul what was happening. Suddenly, Paul turned and looked directly at Elymas. “You are a child of the devil,” he said. “You are an enemy of everything that is right. You are full of tricks and ways to fool people. You will never stop trying to put roadblocks in the way of the Lord. Because of your actions, you will be

blind for a while. You will not be able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately, Elymas felt a dark mist rolling in front of his eyes. He blinked. He rubbed his eyes. He tried to push it away. Everything got darker and darker. Elymas was blind. He could not see a thing! He began to reach out for a hand to guide him so he did not fall.

The proconsul was amazed. One moment Elymas could see; the next he was blind. This convinced the proconsul that Paul was teaching the truth. He listened and learned, and he soon believed in God.

Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark traveled on to many other places. Everywhere they went they told everyone the good news: God’s grace is free and available to everyone. We can be like Paul and his friends. We, too, can tell people we meet about God’s wonderful love and grace.

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PTR200829

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