One sunny day in June, Gramma said to me, “Grampa, it’s about time we got rid of that old sandbox by the barn. The children are all grown up now.”
I said, “You’re right.”
So out to the barn I went to get a shovel and a pry bar to dig out the boards. Our dog Jake came along to help. But first, he checked in the barn to make sure that Snowflake, our cat, was up in the rafters and not down on the ground where he could chase her.
Now, let me tell you what happened. As I pried up the first board of the old sandbox, out flew a swarm of mud wasps! I dropped the pry bar and ran away as quickly as I could. My two old legs could really move that day!
And what did Jake do? Well, he wanted to see what I was running away from, so he went over to investigate. I called, “Jake! Jake! Get out of there! Come here! Hurry up!” But Jake was determined to see what was there, and he wouldn’t listen to me.
This reminds me of God’s Word in Matthew 3:7 which says, “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Flee means to run away as fast as you can. What is the wrath to come? God’s Word tells us in Revelation 20:15, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to flee to Him as quickly as possible, so that we will not be cast into this terrible place of punishment. He wants to save us.
You see, boys and girls, Jake was being bad; he wasn’t listening to me. Every one of us has been bad too. God’s Word, the holy Bible, says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
It didn’t take long for those mud wasps to find Jake, and then did he run! He turned in circles and rolled in the grass, trying to get away from those wasps.
Finally, he came to me! I picked up a big pair of gloves and started to pick the wasps out of his hair and squash them. But it was too late for poor Jake. He had gotten stung twice on his lip, and it was all swollen.
After I got Jake all fixed up, I put on a coat and face mask and then carried some oil over to that mud wasps’ nest and poured the oil all over it. Do you think Jake came with me? No sir! He had learned a lesson he will never forget.
Boys and girls, the Lord Jesus is calling you away from the dangers of sin and the lake of fire. Won’t you run to His loving arms right now? Don’t wait until it’s too late like Jake did. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Let’s remember again the warning in Revelation 20:15, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
“Whosoever believeth in Him [our Lord Jesus Christ] should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Will you trust Him today before it is too late?