A little girl about seven years old named Joan used to go to hear the gospel preached every Sunday night with her Christian parents. She did not want to take the Lord as her Saviour then, for she felt that salvation wasn’t for her, and besides, she thought she would get saved after a few years went by when she had had her fun. She thought she would remain undecided for awhile.
The preacher often told the listeners that there was no middle ground for salvation — everyone was either on the road to heaven, or on the road to hell.
All who believed on Him would be taken up to heaven when He comes, and all the others would be left behind for judgment.
One day when Joan came home from school she found that her mother and her two little sisters were gone, and then she began to think that perhaps the Lord had come, and she was left behind. How relieved she was to see them coming home a little later, for they had just come back from shopping. But after that Joan began to worry — perhaps she wasn’t saved, and she didn’t want to be left behind if the Lord came.
One night she thought of that verse she had learned in Sunday school — “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:1010Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:10). “Oh,” she thought, “the angels will rejoice if I trust in the Lord Jesus.” So kneeling down, and looking out of the window at the big full moon in the sky, she prayed that the Lord Jesus would save her soul, saying over and over again, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18:1313And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13).
Then she looked up to the sky and said to herself, “The angels are rejoicing over me in heaven, because I have trusted Jesus. How happy they will be!” And the Lord Jesus was happy that night too, for a little child had taken Him as her Saviour.
And won’t you too, dear young friend, give joy to the Lord Jesus by taking Him into your heart as your Saviour? We hope you can sing,
Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come into today, come in to stay; Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
O may He never have to say to you in a coming day, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”
ML 08/30/1959