p. 17 | Be Ye Also Ready

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 13, 1913

Be Ye Also Ready

Lesson for the Children—No. 5

“Be Ye Also Ready”

MEMORY TEXT: “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matt. 24:44.

We are not ready while getting ready. If you expect a visitor, you wish the house and your dress to be clean and tidy, your work done so you can welcome your friend and have a pleasant visit. You are not ready till all this is done.

We have learned that Jesus is coming soon. He is “even at the door.” Are we all ready for him to come? We must—

First LOOK to JESUS Then for

None can be saved “unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.”—“Early Writings.”

We cannot make ourselves ready. We can only confess our sins, and ask Jesus to forgive and make us ready to meet him. Then we must keep doing right. If we forget and make mistakes, the only way is to go to Jesus again in prayer, tell him we are sorry, and ask him to keep us from sinning. He has promised to do this. 1 John 1:9.

(Make the way so plain that the children will know the right path.)

Have you sometimes wondered why the little hand on the clock points to the hour, and the long hand to the minutes? The minutes are very precious now because Jesus is so near, and there is so much to be done to get ready. If we improve every minute, the hours will be well spent.

(Show a pair of balances. If you cannot do better, show a picture; but if possible have the real article.) Here is a pair of balances. What are they for? “To weigh,” “To measure,” you say. Just now while we are having this meeting, God is weighing people. He does not weigh their bodies, but their actions. The time when they are being weighed is called the judgment. That work has been going on in heaven for a long time, and it is nearly finished. Somebody is being weighed while we talk about it. Your name will be called soon. Should you like to know how it is done? Listen!

“I have seen an angel standing with scales in his hands, weighing the thoughts and interest of the people of God, especially the young. In one scale were the thoughts and interest tending heavenward; in the other were the thoughts and interest tending to earth. And in this scale were thrown all the reading of story-books, thoughts of dress and show, vanity, pride, etc. O, what a solemn moment! the angels of God standing with the scales, weighing the thoughts of his professed children, those who claim to be dead to the world and alive to God. The scale filled with thoughts of earth, vanity, and pride quickly went down, notwithstanding weight after weight rolled from the scale. The one with the thoughts and interest tending to heaven went quickly up as the other went down, and O, how light it was! . . . Said the Angel, ‘Can such enter heaven?’—No, no; never. Tell them the hope they now possess is vain, and unless they speedily repent and obtain salvation, they must perish.’”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. I, page 124.

(If time will permit, refer to the case of Belshazzar. Dan. 5:27.)

We must hurry now to seek the Lord for ourselves, or we shall be too late. “The night cometh, when no man can work.” We cannot wait, saying, “I will be a Christian when I am older.” No, today is the time to seek the Lord and ask him to make us ready to meet him.

How sad it would be to see others saved and we left behind! Many will cry bitterly then, as the people did when Noah was in the ark and they were shut out.

(Earnest prayer and effort should be combined in this meeting, that the Spirit of God may touch every heart that has not a true Christian experience. Requests for prayer may be made by the children for themselves and others.)