What a lovely boat you ‘have Clarence! You really didn’t make it all yourself did you?” chorused two boys as they watched Clarence sailing his yacht. It certainly was a perfect model, and it glided along so smoothly with the wind and was bigger than any other boat on the lake that day.
“Why yes, I did,” answered Clarence, “except that Mother helped me a little with the sails. It took a long time to make, but that isn’t why I think so much of it—but because it’s mine twice.”
“Yours twice, what a funny thing to say! If you made it why should you say ‘mine twice’?” The older boy asked.
“I’ll tell you why,” began Clarence, “I began this boat last winter, and worked at it in my spare time, and when this warm weather came, it was finished. The very first fine day, I hurried down to the lake with it; and to my delight, found out how well it would sail. I tried it over and over again, but at last it went so far out I could not get it again. There was no one else around at the time to help me, so I lost my lovely yacht, and felt so sorry after all the time spent on it.
“Some weeks later when walking past a big toy display in a store window down town—what should. I see among the other things, but my boat!
I hurried in to tell the lady it was Mine, but she insisted it couldn’t be. I soon told. her what had happened, but she said, “I’m sorry for you, hut I paid a man-for that boat the other day, and the only way you can get it now is to buy it.”
“It was the only way to get my boat, so I paid the price she asked—and walked out of the store carrying my yacht—mine now because I made it and then I bought it.”
Our lives are like this boat—God made us for Himself, but we wandered away in our sinfulness—lost. The boat did not find its way back to Clarence; and so we would never find our way hack to God. And that is why “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10).
Then, too, He was so anxious to have us for Himself, that He paid the price for us—and that cost Him His life.
“Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold—but with the precious blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1: 18, 19.
Jesus has died and paid the price of our redemption, and now He wants to take possession of us. Will you let Him?
ML 05/12/1946