Jim and Charlie were strolling down the deserted streets of Lunenberg. They had their hats pulled down almost over their eyes and the collars of their raincoats pulled up to cover their ears. They were trying to keep out the chilling drizzle of the cold November day.
They had been driving along Nova Scotia’s scenic shoreline when Charlie mentioned that he’d never been through Lunenberg. So they decided to stop to have a look at the interesting old fishing village. They were enjoying the smells and sounds of the ocean and the sight of the many boats tied securely to the docks with their nets and traps and other gear. As they wandered slowly along the road, they saw that dock after dock had large signs warning trespassers to keep off the docks. Finally, they came to one without a sign, so they walked slowly out onto it as they talked.
Suddenly a man came running toward them through the fog. He stopped and introduced himself as a ship salesman. “Yes,” he said, “I had three ocean-going ships for sale. Two of them are sold, but there’s one left. Would you like to buy it?” Without even a pause he went on, “I was on the phone until a couple of minutes ago. I told my friend I could see two Mafia men (secret criminals) looking over the boats and I was sure they wanted to buy one, so I’d better get down there and look into the matter. You do want to buy a boat to ship cocaine out of here, don’t you?”
Jim and Charlie looked at each other in surprise, but the man kept pressing them for information. “What are you doing down here?” he asked. “You are Mafia men, aren’t you?”
“No,” answered Charlie, pulling a gospel tract out of his pocket and handing it to the man. “Read this. It will tell you what our business is down here. We’re only interested in people getting saved from their sins and knowing that they are on their way to heaven.”
The man took the tract and looked it over carefully.
“See,” said Jim, “It tells you that we are all sinners, but the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
But the man still wasn’t convinced that they weren’t Mafia men. He looked at them as if to say, “I’ve heard of lots of cover-ups, but this is the strangest one yet.”
God tells us that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks right into your heart. “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows what’s really there. He knows whether you’re truly saved or just pretending to belong to the Lord Jesus. Pretending doesn’t work with God. You have to be real!
What does God see in your heart?
ML-02/14/1993