A kind dairy farmer told the local grade school teacher that he would be glad to show the children around his farm if she would like to bring her class there on a school field trip. The teacher appreciated his offer, and it wasn't long before the children came to visit the dairy farm.

Of course, the children had lots of questions about the cows, the barns and the milking machines. They also asked the farmer about the big sign on the barn wall. It said:

"Oh yes," the farmer said. "The Lord is coming soon, and we must be ready to meet Him. If we are still in our sins, we will not be ready. But God has sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us on Calvary's cross. If you tell Him you are sorry you've been naughty and want Him to forgive you, you will be saved. Then you will be ready to meet Him when He comes."

After one little boy went home that afternoon, he told his mother, "I've got to get saved before I go to bed tonight."

"Why do you have to be saved tonight?" his mother asked.

"Well, the farmer said Jesus is coming soon, and on the wall in the barn it said, 'Prepare to meet thy God, AM 4:12,' and I never wake up that early, so I need to be saved before I go to sleep."

You may smile at the child's mistake in thinking that the AM on the sign meant "morning," when really it is the abbreviation for Amos, the book in the Old Testament where the verse is written. But the little boy knew this was something he should not put off. He was going to look after the most important thing in life right away.

What about you?

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). "The blood of Jesus Christ His [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Copied with permission by Stephen Ross for WholesomeWords.org from Messages of God's Love published by Bible Truth Publishers.