One day when I was walking by a tall apartment building, I noticed a teddy bear lying on the sidewalk. I wondered what a nice teddy bear like that was doing on the ground. Had somebody thrown it away?
A few minutes later I came back the same way. Then I saw who owned that teddy bear. A little girl had picked it up and was carrying it back to the apartment building. Then I understood what had happened. The teddy bear must have fallen from the window of one of the apartments, and the little girl had to come all the way down to take it back. It had not been thrown away.
The same thing happened to me. I was like that teddy bear. You see, God created people to live in company with Him. But each of us has fallen in sin. God could no longer enjoy our company because of our sins. And just as that teddy bear could never climb back up to the apartment by itself, I could not go back to God by myself. The little girl had to come down from that apartment, all the way to the sidewalk to pick up her teddy bear and carry it back home. And God had to send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, down to this world to rescue sinners.
But this was not easy. The Lord Jesus had to die on the cross, suffering the judgment for our sins, and after three days He rose from the dead. Now we can enjoy His company while we wait for Him to come and take to heaven everyone who trusts Him. “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)).
If that teddy bear had been left down on the sidewalk, soon the garbage truck would have taken it and it would have been lost forever. The same can happen to you if you don’t recognize yourself as a sinner who needs a Saviour and don’t trust in the Lord Jesus who loves you. The day may come very soon when you will face death and eternal punishment. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:27-2827And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:27‑28)).
The teddy bear is safely with its little owner who loves it. Will you let the Lord Jesus who loves you pick you up and save you?
ML-11/03/1996