A lady living in Germany found on her doorstep a basket containing a live pigeon. There was also a note warning her that unless she attached a certain sum of money to the bird’s leg and released the bird immediately, her house would be burned down that night.
She notified the police at once. Immediately they chartered two planes, tied a long ribbon to the bird’s neck, released it, and instructed the pilots to follow the bird. The police officers followed in a car. Straight as an arrow the little bird winged its way homeward and flew down to a loft. A photograph was taken of the place by the pilots and a note dropped to the police. Rushing into the building they found two brothers feverishly untying the ribbon. They were arrested at once.
But they protested, “It is not our bird. It flew into the loft.”
The police officer ordered a test, and one of his men took the pigeon to a distant spot where he released it. It came straight home to the same loft. A second and a third time—it came home! Finally the brothers broke down and confessed that they were guilty.
“Be sure your sin will find you out,” the Word of God tells us in Num. 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23). Perhaps, dear reader, you are restless and uneasy, and feel guilty, because deep down you know that somehow, sometime, somewhere you will have to give an account to God.
It is no use to deny one’s guilt like the men who said, “It’s not our bird.” God says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
But how wonderful it is to learn that God Himself has provided a Saviour to put away our sins and guilt.
ML-05/07/1978