José had a large truck that he used to carry supplies, and it was a big help to him in earning a living for his family. He lived in Bolivia, a country in South America where there are many mountains. José’s house was near a river. In the dry season he could drive his truck right through the river, because it was shallow. But in the rainy season the river got deeper and became a raging torrent. José built a strong stone bridge across the river in one place, so he could drive his truck across. However, the road went beside the river for miles, and he had to cross it in two other places to make his deliveries before returning home.
One day after some heavy rains, he was driving his truck when he realized that the river had washed out the road in front of him. He couldn’t go on. He decided to turn around and go back where he had come from. That was when he discovered that the river had just washed out the road behind him too! José was trapped on a piece of road with the raging river in front of him and the raging river behind him. There was a high cliff on one side of him and the river on the other side.
José didn’t know what to do. It looked like the river was still rising, and now he was concerned for his own safety. José’s only hope was to leave the truck where it was and get out to safety. So, he climbed up the cliff and then walked until he came to a town — safe!
A man in the town found out that José had left his truck in the middle of the river and said to him, “Sell me your truck.” José was worried about the truck, so he sold it on the spot for half of what the truck was worth. The man was pleased, but not for long. During the night the river rose even higher and washed the truck away. They never saw it again.
The man who bought the truck was quite angry when he found out that the truck had disappeared. He demanded his money back from José. But the judge in that town told the man, “You knew where the truck was when you bought it. The truck is yours. The money is José’s.”
We might think it was silly for the man to spend a lot of money on a truck that could soon get washed down a river, and it was. This reminds me of the verse that says, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:3636For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)). If you live only for this world, you will be like the man who lost his money and the truck, too. One day soon you will lose everything, including your own soul. This is because this world is going to be judged soon, and then everyone will have to face God. At that time God will send those who haven’t believed on the Lord Jesus to hell. But God loves us and doesn’t want any of us to go into hell. The Bible asks this question: “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:77But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)). In His great love to you, God is letting you hear this warning right now. The only way to flee from God’s wrath is by trusting in the Lord Jesus. He died to save us from the coming judgment. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
Messages of God’s Love 6/29/2025