One little match can start a big fire, but Mike wasn’t worried about that. He just wanted to start a little fire, one he could sit by and enjoy in the pine forest near his house. He had used up at least a couple of packs of matches trying to start the fire before his mother caught him. He was reaching up into the little blue jar on the fireplace mantle to get another pack when she walked into the living room.
Deciding to find out what he had been doing with the matches, she discovered a pile of pine needles that he was trying to burn. Thankfully, in gathering the pine needles he had also gathered some wet pine needles and dirt. That was why the pile wouldn’t burn, which probably prevented the whole pine forest from going up in flames.
Matches are like sin. One little match could have started a fire that might have burned down the whole pine forest, and one little sin can start a bad habit that could ruin your whole life. The Lord Jesus not only wants to save you from your sins and the punishment you deserve in hell, but also from the terribly destructive power of sin in your life right now. If you have already trusted Jesus as your Saviour but have allowed some sin in your life, tell Him about it. He promises that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7).
ML-02/07/2010