It was a warm spring day, and Mother put two-year-old Charlie in his playpen on the porch. She was busy in the kitchen when she heard Charlie jabbering excitedly.
Looking out, she was shocked and frightened to see a big black bear in the yard standing on his hind legs looking at Charlie in his playpen! Charlie was smiling at the bear and trying to talk to it. Mother rushed out, grabbed Charlie out of the playpen and ran back into the house, slamming the door behind her.
“Charlie did not seem frightened at all,” she told Daddy later. “In fact, he was upset because I took him away from his ‘friend.’ " The bear must have wondered, since it watched the back door for a while before going back to the woods.
Charlie would have no idea that there was anything dangerous out the bear. Perhaps there wasn’t. Perhaps the bear was the friendliest bear in the woods. But what loving mother is going to allow her child to find out if a bear is friendly or dangerous? She did what had to be done—she took Charlie to a safe place.
There are many people who are “playing” with danger. It concerns where they will be after this life—heaven or hell. When they are told they need a Saviour, they do not seem to care; they do not seem to fear God. Even when they are told about spending eternity in hell it does not impress them. They just wonder why we are concerned.
Are you saved and ready for heaven? Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? We cannot be saved by doing good things. The Bible says it is “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:9. It also says we have all sinned against God. We must come to the Lord Jesus and have our sins forgiven, or we will never be accepted into heaven. God cannot accept us with our sins.
The Lord Jesus is the only One who can forgive our sins and put them ay. He can do this because He took the punishment for our sins in His own sinless body on the cross. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:24. Do you believe this good news? Why not put your trust in His precious blood and accept Him as your very own Saviour?
Ask Him to forgive you and save you. He will give you a new life with peace and joy you have never known before. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7.
ML-06/06/1982