It was early morning when Daddy drove the car over the back roads between Bedford, New York and Torrington, Connecticut. The family was looking forward to visiting friends who lived in Torrington. Most of the way the speed limit was 55 miles per hour. Daddy kept the car right at that speed as they did not have time to spare if they were going to get there on time.
Suddenly, just as they came into a little town in Connecticut, Daddy saw flashing red lights behind them. He pulled over to the side of the road to let the police car pass, but instead it stopped right behind them. “Looks like he’s after me,” said Daddy as a very stern policeman came up to the car window.
“Let’s see your driver’s license and registration card,” ordered the policeman.
Three-year-old Kip stared wide-eyed at the policeman’s bright badge and the revolver in his holster. He had never seen anything like this, and here it was happening to his daddy! Lana, who was almost five, watched soberly as the officer took Daddy’s cards and looked them over. The policeman told Daddy that he had been traveling 50 miles an hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, and he reached into his pocket for his book of tickets and a pen. (A person who is given a speeding ticket has to pay a fine for his punishment.)
This was too much for little Lana. A flood of tears ran down her face as she looked up into the face of the stern policeman and sobbed, “Please don’t put my daddy in jail!” The officer’s stern look melted immediately into a smile. He put away his ticket book and only warned Daddy to be more careful in the future.
Daddy did not have to pay a fine. Lana’s tearful plea brought mercy to Daddy from the policeman. Mercy means not getting what we deserve. Daddy was guilty of going faster than the speed limit, and he deserved a ticket. The policeman showed mercy to him for Lana’s sake.
It made Daddy think of the wonderful mercy that God has shown us. Every one of us is a sinner and deserves to be shut out of heaven and punished for our sins. But God in mercy sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to take the punishment on the cross of Calvary that we deserve.
Have you admitted to God that you are a sinner and deserve everlasting punishment for your sins? Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and thanked Him for bearing the punishment you deserve?
“God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins”
(Ephesians 2:45).
ML-06/28/1996