I ONCE had a beautiful little cherry tree in my garden. I took great care of it, put nice fresh earth all round it, and did everything I could to make it grow. If any of you have gardens, you will know how I watched my tree. The trouble I took with it only made me more anxious to see it flourish. Spring came, and it looked, oh! so pretty in full blossom —so pure, and white, and rich! I shall surely have a great many cherries, I thought, on my pretty tree when summer comes. Summer came, and what happened? O children! it was so sad; my pretty tree faded quite away! First the blossoms, then the leaves, and then the branches. I was so sorry, after all my trouble. I asked the gardener why it faded, and he said there must be something wrong at its root. So he dug it up, and there, deep down in the earth, were naughty bed worms; a great many of them. They had eaten the root of my poor little tree, and so it had died!
Now, this is like what we all are by nature. Into the root of our heart the worms of sin have entered, and are surely eating away our life that though we may be very pleasant and kind, all alike need a Saviour, Jesus. There is no true life, but in Him, no way to heaven, but through Him.
None of the beautiful blossoms upon my cherry tree came to anything, just because there was death at the roots; so no good promises or works of yours will avail before God, for, young as you are you must be born again. Ah, but Jesus died that we might live. Believe in Him, and you shall have the new, the everlasting life, and then may you be a fruitful tree for Him upon the earth. Should you live to be old, or should you die young, may you please Him, and bring forth fruit for God.
How can we do this? By really believing in God’s holy word, and treasuring in our hearts what our Lord says to us.
Be quite sure that you do indeed believe on the Lord Jesus, and then you do have the new life.