Joe and I used to have a lot of fun as we walked back and forth to school. We lived in the country, and the road to the school was about a mile long. There were fields and woods on both sides of the road, but no houses. Sometimes we would see a farmer on a tractor in the field, but usually there was nobody around. We used to run through the woods, climb the trees and sometimes pick the flowers along the way.
One day, we noticed a big new sign which read, “No Trespassing.” It was on a post just at the edge of the woods where we liked to play. This sign meant we had to stay on the road and not go into these woods. It meant we could no longer climb the trees or pick the flowers.
We didn’t like that sign because it took away some of our fun. We wanted to just forget it was there. We threw a few stones at it the first day. Each day when we walked by, we threw more stones at it. Then we got the idea of throwing mud at it, until finally we could hardly read the words anymore.
We were acting like boys and girls who don’t like the warning signs in the Bible and do their best to stay away from anyone who might tell them about God’s Word.
One morning as we passed the woods, we saw a new sign had been put up with the same big black letters, “No Trespassing.” This time, we climbed the fence and pulled up the sign, post and all, and then we ran away as fast as we could. But somebody had seen us. The farmer had been watching, and he chased us all the way to school.
He went right into the principal’s office. It didn’t take him long to find out who the bad boys were. We were punished not only at school, but when we got home, too! The farmer had gotten our names and phone numbers and called our pants. We had to pay for the sign we ruined and replace the sign we had pulled up.
We should have had enough sense to know that ruining the first sign and pulling up the second sign did not change the law, “No Trespassing.” Many people think that they won’t have to answer to God if they just forget about Him and don’t pay any attention to what the Bible says.
We ran away from the farmer for almost a mile, but we were caught and punished. Some people go on for fifty years or more, running away from God. But in the end, they will be punished for their sins. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
The farmer that caught us was angry with us. But God, against whom you have sinned, loves you and wants to forgive you. He hates your sins, but loves you so much that His own Son, the Lord Jesus, was punished for your sins on Calvary’s cross. He died for your sins so that you can go free, if you will just ask Him to be your Saviour.
ML-09/06/1981