David Learns a Lesson

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Memory Verse: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Psalm 32:11<<A Psalm of David, Maschil.>> Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (Psalm 32:1)
Close to David Johnson’s home was a pond. He and his older brother Mark had made a raft, and they had a lot of fun floating it on the pond. One day during summer vacation Mark had to go to the dentist. Since he was also going to shop with his mother, David decided not to wait for him. He would just take the raft out by himself. He and Mark often argued about the raft, because Mark always insisted on steering it, so it would be fun having it all to himself.
Before leaving, David’s mother told him not to go on the raft. She worried about her sons’ adventures on the pond, especially if either one of them would try to take it out alone. But David felt very sure of himself and, sad to say, disobeyed. He said to himself, “Mom just doesn’t understand...as if a nine-year-old can’t take care of himself.”
So off David went to the pond, and after considerable effort he managed to get the raft into the water. As he leaped on board, it floated away and, losing his balance, he fell into the water which was almost up to his chin. With much difficulty he managed to scramble back onto the raft, but he was chilled by the cold water. He guided the raft to the bank again and ran home as fast as he could.
It was impossible to hide what had happened, because his dripping clothes told what he had done. He knew that when his mother got home and saw them she would be very unhappy about his disobeying her. Now he was miserable and felt very sorry, because he loved his mother. He knew that he had to tell her he was sorry, but he didn’t really know how. After some thought David made up his mind.
Getting a piece of paper, he wrote: When Mrs. Johnson and Mark returned home she found the note on the kitchen table. She took a pencil and in big letters wrote her answer on the note. Then folding it, she slipped it under the door of David’s room.
David was scared to look at it, but opening it slowly he found in big letters the answer “YES.” Oh, how relieved he was to know his mother had forgiven him, and he loved her more than ever.
We know from the Bible that we “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), and that all sin is against God—every evil thought, word and deed. But God can forgive us, now that Jesus has died. If a person repents and is sorry for his sins, he only has to go to God and tell Him so. God is gracious and ready to forgive, and the blood of Jesus can wash all those sins away.
But God does much more than this. He takes the forgiven person into His family. He becomes a child of God by believing His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The question of his sins will never come up again, for God says, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.” Isaiah 44:2222I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. (Isaiah 44:22).
ML-11/21/1982