Danny was spending a long afternoon at Grandma’s house. Grandma lived in a neighborhood of mostly older people, so there were no children for him to play with. All the grown-ups were talking in the kitchen, and little Danny didn’t have anything to do.
Suddenly he remembered the pretty glass bowl that Grandma kept on top of the cabinet in the dining room. Yellow candies were usually in the bowl. Danny thought he needed one. He went into the dining room and peered over the top of the cabinet. Yes, there was the glass bowl ... but no candies. Disappointed, Danny rested his chin on the cabinet top, looking at the empty bowl.
Now what could he do? He noticed the cabinet had some drawers. He pulled one open and started looking through it. All he found were napkins and tablecloths. They smelled old, like mothballs. But wait, what was this ... a candy bar! He could tell from the wrapper that it had peanuts and chocolate in it.
As Danny took the candy bar out, he had an uneasy feeling inside. He knew the candy bar was not his. He thought of asking Grandma if he could have it, but then he would have to go into the kitchen and ask, and his mother wouldn’t like him asking for it. Anyway, Grandma had probably forgotten all about it and would be glad to let him have it. Danny decided just to eat the candy bar without telling anyone.
As Danny held the candy bar, his uneasy feeling came from God. He is our Creator, and He has given each man, woman, boy and girl a conscience. That is the feeling that bothers us when we are doing something we know is wrong. It also tells us we are sinners. Sometimes we decide to go right ahead and do what we want, no matter what our conscience tells us—just like Danny was about to do. Then we try to forget about it. But God does not forget. He is holy and cannot let even a little sin slide by without His noticing it. “God requireth that which is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:1515That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. (Ecclesiastes 3:15)).
Grandma’s yard had a high hedge around it. Danny found a good place in the hedge to hide with the candy bar. He crouched in the cool, leafy shade of the hedge and unwrapped it. He took a big bite. But, oh my, he spit it out just as quickly! The candy bar was so old it was hard and had an awful taste! It must have been in that drawer for a long, long time. What a disappointment it turned out to be for Danny.
Sin is just like that. It often looks like something we really want—something to make us happy. But it always ends in unhappiness. The Bible tells us that “the wages [payment] of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
If Danny had just asked Grandma about the candy bar, she would have told him it was not good to eat, and she would have given him something better. And if you will come to the Lord Jesus with your sins, He will wash them all away and give you something much better—His gift of eternal life in His happy home with Him in heaven forever.
ML-04/10/2016