While traveling through the South a few years after the Proclamation of Emancipation, a lady from the North was detained in a little out-of-the-way country inn. When taken to her room, she found it full of dust as though it had not been cleaned for years. She requested room service, and a poor, miserable-looking Negro woman with no apparent life nor energy, nothing but utter listlessness and indifference expressed in every movement, was sent to help her.

After watching her useless performances for a few minutes, the lady said, "Ma'am, I am not used to having things this way at all. Now you know, you people have been set free, and I think you should make things comfortable for tourists. Just see if you cannot make this room a little cleaner while I go down to tea."

With this, the lady left the room and returned in about an hour. To her astonishment, she found the dusty room transformed into a picture of neatness. But even more astonishing was the transformation in the woman herself. She stood there looking inches taller. Life and energy were in every movement. Her eye flashed fire. She looked like a new creature. When the lady began to thank her for the change in the room, she interrupted her with the eager question, "O missus! Is we free?"

"Of course you are," replied the lady.

"O missus! Is you sure?" urged the woman with intense eagerness.

"Certainly I am sure," answered the lady. "Didn't you know it?"

"Well," said the woman, "we heard tell how we was free, but master said we wasn't. Then we heard again, and the cunnel said we'd better stay with old massa. And so we's just been off and on. But now, please tell me all about it."

The poor slave listened with intense interest as she heard the good news. She believed it, and proclaimed, "I'se free! I'se ain't a-going to stay with ole massa any longer!" At last she received the freedom pronounced by the government long before, because she believed the words she heard and acted on them.

How many people today are just like this poor woman! Sometimes they hope they are saved, and other times doubt that they are. They look at their feelings or good works, or what somebody says instead of believing the Word of God. When this woman really believed the message, she knew she was free. When we really believe the Gospel, we know we are saved. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

The death of the Lord Jesus Christ has purchased freedom, salvation, and eternal life for everyone who trusts Him as their personal Saviour. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). Believe now and be free forever from the bondage of sin and Satan.

—Adapted