Mr. Peterson lived in New York City. Usually when he was driving around town traffic was so heavy that he did not bother to check if the traffic lights were red or green before he crossed an intersection. He just pushed his way through the crowd of cars and taxis along with everyone else.
One day Mr. Peterson was driving in the suburbs with a friend, Mr. Grant. Mr. Peterson was talking excitedly to Mr. Grant, telling him a story, when Mr. Grant suddenly interrupted: “Hey,” he shouted, “you just went through a red light!”
Mr. Peterson looked back, using the rearview mirror. Sure enough, he had just driven right through a red light. Rather embarrassed, he apologized to Mr. Grant, “I’m so sorry. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever done that! I don’t ever remember going through a red light before!” (It was true that he did not remember, since he hardly ever noticed what color the lights were.)
Then Mr. Peterson went on with the story he had been telling. Suddenly Mr. Grant broke in again: “Uh—you just went through another red light.”
Horrified, Mr. Peterson looked back again. Yes, he certainly had driven right through another red light! He shook his head. “I can hardly believe this,” he said seriously. “The first time I’ve ever gone through a red light, and now I’ve done it twice in one day!”
Mr. Peterson was mistaken. He had gone through many red lights, but he did not realize it because he never paid any attention to them. Are you like Mr. Peterson? God says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth [carefully examines] the hearts.” Proverbs 21:22Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2). Sometimes we need someone to point out our mistakes so we become aware of them. How often we would rather think that others have made worse mistakes than we have, and that they, not we, are the ones who need the help. We need to remember that God looks at each of us differently than how we look at each other. He sees and knows all about each one of us and says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jeremiah 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). He also says, "[How] shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy [God’s] Word.” Psalm 119:99BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9). God’s Word, the Bible, tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ died and shed His blood to wash away sins. He then rose again from the dead, and now He is alive in heaven. He is patiently waiting in love for all who will turn to Him in faith, accepting Him as their own Saviour. Won’t you do that right now?
ML-09/09/1984