Mr. Johnstone was tired after a hard day’s work and decided he would go to bed early. It wasn’t long before he was sound asleep —and he didn’t wake up till the sun shone in his bedroom window in the morning.
He started to get ready for another day’s work when he noticed something very strange. His clothes had been moved, and some of them were missing! Quickly he looked about the house and found that a burglar had entered while he was asleep, and a lot of his belongings were missing. His watch was gone, his purse was gone, and a lot of other valuable things too. Mr. Johnstone just couldn’t understand it, for he had locked the doors so carefully. But all at once he made a discovery. One of the back windows was smashed. Quickly he went outside and there amidst the broken pieces of glass, he could see blood stains. Drop by drop the stains led out into the street. There he met a policeman who asked him what he was looking for.
“Sir,” he said, “someone has broken into my house during the night, and I believe he must have hurt himself, for there is blood under my window, and here I can see it leads up this street.”
The two of them set off together to try to find the thief. At last they followed the tell-tale drops of blood up a flight of stairs to the door of a room. The policeman knocked loudly and there was no answer. He knocked again, and there was still no answer. Then he pushed the door open, and there he found in the corner of the room, a man with a bleeding hand! The big policeman asked him a lot of questions, but he said he didn’t know anything about the burglary. Presently the officer spied a big bag under the bed and pulled it out. There were the stolen goods? There was the purse, and the watch and all the missing things! The guilty man turned pale and hadn’t a word to say—he was found out.
The Bible says “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 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). I don’t suppose you have ever broken a widow and stolen from anyone else. And I suppose you can walk along and pass the policeman without any fear at all. But God has been watching you all the time, and you don’t have to be a thief to be a sinner. God’s Word tells us that “all have sinned.” Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23). And when God says “all” he means you —and me. He looks at your heart right now as you read this paper, and His eye can see the very marks of sin which you may try to deny.
The thief of our story was put in a jail for his crime. But we have good news for you. Although you and I are sinners, God offers us forgiveness, for His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has suffered the punishment of sins for us, so that now we can go free. Isn’t that wonderful news? All those who believe in Him are “justified from all things.” Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39).
Don’t try to hide your guilt from God any longer. Confess your guilt to Him, and trust His Word which says, “their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17).
ML 04/19/1953