Dear Children,
Early this morning, our dog Wesley and I went to the barn to get the birdseed and food for our wild geese and also for the fish that are in the creek at this time of year. Wesley was busy running around outside the barn with his nose to the ground. When I went inside, guess what I saw. It was a possum looking right at me with its big, bright eyes. This possum had chased our cat Spunky out of his house in the barn and had taken it over! I walked back outside and called Wesley. I wanted him to help me chase this critter out of the barn!
When we went back inside, that possum was gone! But Wesley smelled him and was jumping all around the woodpile, which is inside the barn to keep it dry. I happened to look up, and there was Mr. Possum looking down and smiling at us! He was sitting high up on top of the lumber pile that I use for repair work. So I wondered, What should I do now?
Have any of you children ever been in trouble and asked yourself, “What should I do? Where should I go? What will I say or answer?” Sure you have, and so have I. It is not a happy feeling to have.
In the Bible we read about a jail guard who heard about two preachers, named Paul and Silas, who had been telling the people about God’s great love for sinners and how they could have their sins forgiven. This would save them from going down to hell and the lake of fire. Sorry to say, a lot of people didn’t like to hear preaching like this. So they took Paul and Silas to the jailer, and he put them down into the deepest part of the prison.
But Paul and Silas didn’t think about what they should do now. Instead, they prayed and sang praises to God! Then suddenly at midnight there was a huge earthquake! The earth shook so hard that all the prison doors flew open, and the chains on the prisoners fell off!
The jailer, who had been asleep and was now wide awake, thought that all the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called out with a loud voice, “Do thyself no harm: for we are all here” (Acts 16:2828But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. (Acts 16:28)). When the jailer heard these words, he called for a light and trembling fell down before Paul and Silas and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (vs. 30).
Children, the jailer thought he had to do something to be saved. Paul and Silas told him the true Word of God and said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (vs. 31). And that jailer listened to those most wonderful words from Paul and Silas and was saved right then and there! He only had to believe, and that’s what he did!
Now, what about the possum? We left him there on top of the lumber, but that night I set a trap. Next morning Wesley and I found Mr. Possum in the trap. I carefully picked up the trap, set it in the truck and drove to the conservation area to release him. When I put the trap on the ground and opened the door, did I have to tell him what to do or where to go? Nope! He knew what to do and where he was going.
Dear children, there might be someone who reads this letter who knows how to be saved and knows that they will never be in heaven if they are not saved. Remember, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)). Please don’t go to bed tonight without being saved. I want to meet each one of you in heaven!
Lots of love,
Grampa and Gramma
ML-05/22/2011