Garvin was a good student. He normally didn’t skip class like some of the other boys in his Dickson Village school. But one hot, sticky afternoon, some of his friends talked him into going with them to the river where they had dammed up the water to make a cool, deep pool for swimming. The thought of the cool water on such a hot day was too much for Garvin, and he gave in and went with his friends. “No one will ever know,” they said, “and it’s too hot today to be in a classroom. Who cares about math and spelling anyway?”
Oh, my! Garvin had a Christian mother who would have told him that God sees everything we do, and He would know that Garvin and his friends were skipping school. And Garvin may even have learned this verse from the Bible: “Behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and 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)).
The boys had such a good time diving and splashing without a care in the world. The water was cool and refreshing, and school was far from their minds.
Then an older lady from the village suddenly appeared on the riverbank to wash her dirty dishes, which she carried in a large basin. Now this story took place over fifty years ago on the island of St. Vincent, and most people did not have running water in their homes. They used the river for washing dishes and clothes and often for bathing as well.
It so happened that the lady, Mrs. Sauderland, was a good friend of Garvin’s mother, and she was shocked to see him there in the water when he was supposed to be in school. She knew that his mother would not approve of what her young son was doing. And Garvin was as shocked to see her as she was to see him. As she called out his name, she began looking around for a switch or stick to give him a switching if she could catch him. However, since she was an older lady and he was just a boy, he could outrun her. He was out of the water in a flash, grabbed up his school clothes, and ran as fast as he could back to school!
Garvin stayed in school the rest of the day, but he didn’t learn a single thing or hear anything the teacher said. No, he could only think and worry about what his mother would say and do when he got home later that afternoon. He was sure Mrs. Sauderland would tell her what she had seen, and he knew there would be punishment.
However, as it turned out and for whatever reason, Mrs. Sauderland never told his mother. What a relief it was not to have to face a switching at home!
Yes, Garvin got away with an afternoon of skipping school. But remember, even though we may be able to hide a sin from our parents or anyone else, we can’t hide it from God. God not only sees everything we do, but He also keeps a record of everything we do, good and bad. And even though Garvin was never punished for skipping school that day, he would have to face punishment for that sin and any other sin of his when he stands before God his Maker. “God [requires] 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)).
However, we have happy news! “God is love” (1 John 4:1616And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)), and He is also a God of mercy! “He that [hides] his sins shall not prosper: but whoso [confesses] and [forsakes] them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)). And some years later, Garvin as a young man believed that happy news and came to know the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, the One “in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)). Happily all his sins are forgiven, even the sin of skipping school. He will not face punishment for his sins, because the Lord Jesus took Garvin’s punishment on the cross. God promises, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:1212For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:12)). Garvin’s record is clean.
What about your record?
ML-04/14/2013