Tommy’s cousin, Matthew, lives in Canada and expected to visit Tommy’s family during the summer. But before he came, Tommy wrote him a letter.
Dear Matthew, I’m glad you are coming to see us this year. I hope we can go to the beach while you are here. Please try to get here by July the fourth.
Love, Tommy
Matthew was pleased to get the letter, but since Canada has different holidays, he didn’t know why Tommy wanted him to arrive by July the fourth, nor did he really give it much thought. Probably, Tommy just wanted him to hurry up and come.
Matthew’s family packed their things into their van and trailer and began the long trip from Canada to Tommy’s house. They did not intend to make their plans for a summer vacation based on a single letter from a 10-year-old cousin. However, it worked out so that Matthew and his family arrived at Tommy’s house on the very afternoon of July the fourth.
Tommy and his family welcomed their cousins with smiles and hugs, and truly, any thought of July the fourth was lost in the excitement of the arrival of cousins they had not seen for a whole year. It was lost, that is, until after supper when it began to get dark. Several neighbor boys also came over to Tommy’s house because they knew Matthew’s family and they knew too what the fourth of July meant! Matthew still did not know.
The noise and activity of all the children after supper made it seem almost impossible to have the usual family Bible reading. But Matthew’s dad finally got all the boys settled down with Bibles and hymnbooks, and they read about God’s love in sending the Lord Jesus to die for our sins.
After the Bible reading was over, Tommy and the neighbor boys jumped up, grabbed little paper bags and ran outside. Matthew and his brothers followed, and then they found out why Tommy wrote what he did in his letter. Each of the paper bags was full of fireworks!
While the dads and moms watched too, some of the fireworks popped with a loud bang, others shot up into the sky with a burst of colors, and others whistled before they popped. Talk about excitement! Just put 12 boys together with bags of fireworks and, well, Matthew knew now that Tommy’s letter had a message more important than he realized. What if he had missed all this?
Matthew was glad to join Tommy on the fourth of July even if he hadn’t paid much attention to the letter, but later Matthew and his Dad thought about another letter, even more important. If they had not read this one, the greatest of all letters, they would have missed something far more wonderful than colorful and noisy fireworks with Tommy and his friends.
Matthew and his dad knew that God’s Word, the Bible, is the most important “letter” ever written, because it is from God! It is so important that Jesus said, “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:44And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:4). You cannot truly live without God’s Word and you cannot be saved without it. The Bible says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed [that dies and decays], but of incorruptible [that does not die and decay], by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” 1 Peter 1:2323Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23).
Have you read this important letter from God? Are you going to miss something wonderful because you have never read what God has said? You won’t just miss a day of fireworks and excitementyou’ll miss heaven! Read God’s Word today and believe it when it says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
Tommy’s fireworks did not last long. One flash and each one was gone, and so was the excitement that Tommy had wanted to share with Matthew. This is not so with God’s Word! The happiness and singing in heaven will last forever and so will that important letter that God has sent to you. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35). If there is a letter that is so important that it will last forever, don’t you think you’d better read it? Matthew almost missed the excitement on the fourth of July by not paying much attention to Tommy’s letter. But how much worse if you should miss all the wonders and joys of heaven by not paying attention to God’s letter -the Bible, the Word of God!
Jesus is coming soon, so God’s letter to you is not only important, it is also urgent. It is more urgent right now, in 1992, than ever before. Read it and believe it today!
ML-06/28/1992