The orchestra members were all in their places for their weekly practice. Each player had his own share of nervousness or confidence, for the conductor was a man who expected the best from his students. They had had all week to practice their music at home, and now he was ready, baton in hand, to hear them play together.
Dave’s home practice had been less than normal; in fact, it was zero. There had been so many more interesting things to do that his violin had not been out of its case all week. As a result, the notes of the music were still new to him, and now he faced the man who knew the music well and could hear a wrong note instantly. What was going to happen?
Maybe you don’t play in an orchestra, but you have your own tests and exams, and perhaps you know how it feels not to be ready. Somehow it works out in the end. But your biggest test is yet to come. God says, “After [death] the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)), and when you face that test you can’t be sent back to try again. Perhaps you don’t think that is fair, but it is not for you to decide. God is your Judge, and He is warning you now.
But He has an offer for you. The Judge Himself loves you and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for you, so that you might have your sins forgiven and be welcomed to His home in heaven. But this offer must be believed and accepted NOW. It is only offered to sinners. This verse will tell you if you qualify: “There is no [person] that sinneth not” (1 Kings 8:4646If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; (1 Kings 8:46)).
Dave was not feeling sorry that he had not done his assignment. Not at all. He had a plan so that he would not be found out. He tucked his violin under his chin just as all the others did, and he stroked the bow in perfect time -just a tiny fraction of an inch above the strings. The bow made no contact with the strings, and so not one wrong note was heard. In fact, there was no sound at all from his violin. No one could accuse him of playing a wrong note!
The conductor listened carefully, as he always did. He seemed to detect a problem, but if it was a wrong note it wasn’t coming from Dave. The conductor first asked half the players to be silent while the others played. Then he asked just a small group to play alone. Finally he asked just Dave and another player to play together. Dave’s silent violin was detected by everyone.
His plan didn’t work.
If you hope you can escape from God’s judgment, are you foolish enough to think your plan will work? Don’t wait to find that out. It will be too late ever to try again!
God’s plan is perfect. If there had been any other way to save you, God would never have sent His only begotten Son to the agony of Calvary’s cross. His plan is as costly as it is perfect. Many of us have accepted this wonderful Saviour, and we know that the judgment for our sins is behind us and not before us. What is your choice - your own plan, or God’s?
ML-08/25/1996