The 11-year-old cousins finished their homework and then strolled outside, from Ann’s house over to the woods. As they passed the trash barrel where Ann’s dad burned trash. Ann glanced into it and said, “Hey, look what Dad threw away... a spray can of black paint.”
“Let me see it,” said Art. He Pulled off the cap, shook it and began spraying the little trees and vines along the path, but the paint didn’t come out very freely. He got tired of trying to make it spray, so he threw it on the ground. He sat down on a stump just as Karl came along.
“Hi,” said Karl, “whatcha doin'?”
“Nothin’ much,” said Ann and Art.
Karl put his hands into his pockets and felt some matches. “Look what I’ve got. Wanna light a fire?”
“Sure,” said Art. “Here’s a good place.”
Soon they had a hot fire burning, and the can with its warning, “DANGER —EXTREMELY FLAMABLE,” was lying on its side getting blacker and blacker.
The Bible carries some warnings in it too, and they apply to every one of us. Are you paying attention to those warnings? “Flee from the wrath to come.” Matthew 3:77But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7). “Seek the Lord.” Amos 5:66Seek the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el. (Amos 5:6). “Watch... and pray always.” Luke 21:3636Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Luke 21:36). “Repent!” Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30). You can’t afford to ignore God’s warnings!
Suddenly there was a loud “POP!” and just as suddenly Art and Ann were covered with flaming paint.
“You’re all black!” cried Ann, as she wildly tried to brush off the flaming paint that was clinging to her face.
“So are you!” Art answered. Karl ran to help them, insisting, “Go home! You better go home!” “No, I can’t,” wailed Ann. “I’ll get in trouble!”
Do you ever feel too naughty to come to God? Don’t feel that way. He already knows all the bad things you’ve done, but He still loves you and wants you to come to Him for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
In the short time it took Art and Ann to smother the flames, they both knew they had gotten some burns. Art grabbed Ann by the arm. “We’ve gotta go home!” he insisted “We can’t stay like this!” and he started pulling her toward the house.
There’s no other way for you and me, either. We must come to the Lord Jesus Christ, “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).
The burns took quite a while to heal, but by the Lord’s mercy Art and Ann are both fine now with no major scars. A few days ago Ann said, “At least I learned my lesson — not to play with fire.”
But what about YOU? Are you playing with the fire that never shall be put out? If you are, remember the rich man in Luke 16 who “in hell... lifted up his eyes, being in torments,” and thank God for the Lord Jesus “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).
ML-06/26/1989