Going out with Dad and my grandparents was always fun. One evening I was the only one of the children able to go with them to the gospel meeting. That made it extra special. I had been ready in plenty of time, but just as I was going out the door I remembered something. I had to go get a present for my friend James.
I raced upstairs to my room and rummaged through my drawer till I found a special marble. Then I leaped down the stairs two at a time, but when I got to the bottom, I found my little brother Nathan locking the front door.
“Let me out!” I said, “I’m going to be late!”
“For what?” asked Nathan, “Dad’s already gone.”
“Mom!” I yelled, “Has Dad left already?”
“Why yes, Cliff,” said Mom, “I’m sorry, but you’ve missed him. I didn’t know you were upstairs.”
I turned and plodded up the stairs to my room. I felt pretty sad to have been too late... and all for a marble.
Have you ever thought that someday you might be left behind too? You might, and not just from an evening with your Dad, but from heaven. The Bible says, “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man [Jesus] cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:4040Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luke 12:40). To be ready to go with Jesus, you must be clean from your sins, and Jesus will do this for you right now, if you trust Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [sins].” 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
Once Jesus has washed away your sins, you do not need to be afraid that He might leave you behind. When the Bible verse says, “He is faithful,” it means that we can trust Him to forgive us, as He has promised to do. And we can trust Him also to keep His promise to take us with Him to heaven. He will never leave behind one who has trusted Him, as my Dad left me.
And I was left behind because of a marble. Could it be that you are letting something very small keep you from coming to Jesus?
If you are left behind when Jesus comes, you will never have another chance to go with Him. But my story has a happier ending. Just as I reached the top of the stairs, the doorbell rang three times the family signal. I ran down the stairs, unlocked the door, and there stood Dad.
“You came back!” I shouted.
“Yes,” said Dad as we hurried out to the family van. “We stopped to pick up a neighbor, and when I called out, ‘Cliff, could you run to the door and see if he’s ready?’, Grandpa answered, ‘Cliff? he’s not here!’ Then I realized that you had been left behind.”
As Dad slid behind the wheel, and I buckled my seat belt, I thought to myself, I’m glad I got to go along tonight, but now I know what it’s like to get left behind. I sure hope none of my friends will be left behind when Jesus comes!
And so I’ve written this story, hoping that you’ll be sure to be ready. Are you?
ML-09/06/1992