Tom lived with his father and mother. His parents were Christians and they sought to bring up their boy in the good ways of the Lord.
Tom and his dad were great pals and Tom was happy in helping his dad do the chores and the farm work as well.
As Tom grew older he found that while he wanted to obey his father and to please the Lord, nevertheless there was an old nature in him that did not want to tread that good way, rather, it wanted to go its own way and loved sin. Sometimes he would tell a lie, or get angry, and not want to obey his father.
One day his father struck upon an idea which he thought would help Tom overcome his bad ways. He got a hammer and nails and said, “Tom, every time you are disobedient, tell a lie, or lose your temper, I want you to hammer a nail into the barn door.”
It wasn’t long before there were many nails hammered into the barn door. Tom began to realize what a bad boy he was. Sadly, he said to his father, “I didn’t know I was such a bad boy. I want to change my ways. I don’t like seeing those nails in the door there all the time.”
Now Tom’s dad was wise, and he talked kindly to his boy, for he loved him. He told Tom what he needed was to go to the Saviour and confess to Him how bad he was, that he was sorry for his sins, and ask the Lord Jesus to wash them away, and come and dwell in his heart. To those who trust Him as their Saviour, the Lord Jesus gives a new life and nature that wants only to please Him. He also gives power over sin and takes away so many of those old desires and habits. Tom’s dad told him to pray and read his Bible every day, and ask the Lord Jesus to give him strength to overcome. He also told him that every time he wanted to lie but told the truth instead, every time he won the mastery over his temper, or whenever he sought to please the Lord instead of himself, he should pull out a nail.
A change took place in Tom’s life. One by one the nails disappeared from the barn door. Soon they were all gone, but as he looked at the door, Tom’s heart was sad for “the scars were still there.”
The Lord Jesus is a wonderful Saviour, dear young friends. He does put away the sins and guilt of all who trust Him, and He does give deliverance from sin’s power. But how many carry with them all through their lives the scars from sins of past years.
Oh, dear young reader, come to the Saviour while you are young. You can’t get saved too early in life. It will save you from ten thousand sins to take Christ while you’re young. Those young years, instead of being filled with the sins of self-will and disobedience to God, can be filled up with thoughts worthy of Himself and deeds done in that happy service of love to the blessed Saviour’s name. Then in that coming day when He has all His redeemed ones around Himself in the glory, it will be His joy to reward every thought and every act pleasing to Him.
ML 09/22/1968