Close to David Johnson's home was a pond. He and his older brother Mark had made a raft, and they had a lot of fun floating it on the pond. One day during summer vacation Mark had to go to the dentist. Since he was also supposed to go shopping with his mother, David decided not to wait for him. He would just take the raft out by himself. He and Mark often argued about the raft. Since he was older, Mark always insisted on steering it, so David decided it would be fun having it all to himself.
Before leaving, David's mother told him not to go on the raft. She worried about her sons' adventures on the pond, especially if either one of them would try to take it out alone. But David felt very sure of himself and, sad to say, disobeyed. He said to himself, "Mom just doesn't understand... as if a nine-year-old can't take care of himself."
So off David went to the pond, and after lots of tugging and pushing, he finally managed to push the raft into the water. As he made a running jump on board it tilted, making David lose his balance. He fell into the water which was almost up to his chin. After several tries he managed to scramble back onto the raft, but he was "freezing" from the cold water. He guided the raft back to the bank again and ran home as fast as he could.
It was impossible to hide what had happened, because his dripping clothes were a dead-giveaway! He knew that when his mother got home and saw them she would be very unhappy that he had disobeyed her. Now he was really miserable and felt very sorry. He loved his mother, and knew that he had to tell her he was sorry, but he didn't really know how. After thinking about it for a while, David made up his mind.
On a piece of paper he wrote this note:
Dear Mother
I am sorry that I did what you told me not to. I went out on the raft on the pond and fell into the water. I am very unhappy because I disobeyed you. Will you forgive me? If you do write yes and slip it under the door of my room. I am in bed.
Love
David
When Mrs. Johnson and Mark returned home she found the note on the kitchen table. She read it, then took a pencil and in big letters wrote her answer on the note. Then folding it, she slipped it under the door of David's room.
David was scared to look at it, but opening it slowly, he found the answer in big letters, "YES." Oh, how relieved he was to know his mother had forgiven him, and he loved her more than ever.
We know from the Bible that we "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), and that all sin is against God—every wrong thought, word and deed. But God can forgive us, now that Jesus has died. If a person is truly sorry for his sins, he only has to go to God and tell Him so. God is loving and ready to forgive, and the blood of Jesus can wash all those sins away.
But God does much more than this. He makes the forgiven person part of His family. He becomes a child of God by believing on His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The question of his sins will never come up again, for God says, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins." Isa. 44:2222I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. (Isaiah 44:22).