Dear Children,
Hello again from Grampa and Gramma. Just recently some of our grandchildren came to visit us and stayed with us for three days. They sure had a lot of fun with our dog Wesley. He followed them everywhere they went. When the two boys climbed a tree, Wesley sat there and waited until they came back down. If they walked along the creek, Wesley was right beside them, splashing in and out of the water.
Mitch asked me, “Grampa, do you have any snakes here?”
I replied, “Yes, we have lots.”
“Are they poisonous, Grampa?”
“No, Mitch. We have garter snakes and big black water snakes, which are five or six feet long.”
Mitch exclaimed, “Wow! That’s big!”
So I said to Mitch and Ethan, “Do you know that snakes are mentioned in the Bible?”
“Yes,” they replied, “and they are called serpents. Our Sunday school teacher told us that.”
The very first mention of serpents is found in Genesis 3:1. That’s where we read that the serpent, or the devil, also called Satan (he has several names) is talking to Eve, Adam’s wife, our first parents. Satan is telling Eve a lie! This is the very first lie in the Bible. God calls Satan the father of lies. You can read this in John 8:44. Notice the words of the Lord Jesus: “He [Satan] is a liar, and the father of it.” Wow! So we can see that telling lies is not something new.
Lying is a sin against God. Have you ever been in trouble because you told a lie? Children, all sin must be punished by God, even what we call a little lie. Because the Lord Jesus Christ loves us so much, He willingly laid down His life on Calvary’s cross for you and me. His blood that was shed there can wash us clean from every sin, including lies. He became our substitute, if we will believe by faith that He took the punishment that we deserve.
If you know and understand that you need to accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, don’t wait until tomorrow! God doesn’t promise any of us that we will have a tomorrow. He says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).
Mitch and Ethan found lots of snakes, played with them, and then let them all go. Wesley watched them closely and may have been wishing that he could have one to play with too.
Mitch and Ethan and Wesley really enjoyed the time together. But, the fun times come to an end. The boys had to go home, and their home is a long ride from our house. These two young boys have both trusted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, and they would say to you,
Come to the Saviour, make no delay;
Here in His Word He’s shown us the way;
Here in our midst He’s standing today,
Tenderly saying, “Come.”
Let all the children now hear His voice;
Let every heart make Jesus the choice;
And let us freely trust and rejoice;
Do not delay, but come.
Lots of love,
Grampa and Gramma
MEMORY VERSE: “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1
ML-09/18/2011