Imagine yourself paddling a sleek kayak in the waters off the shore of the city of Seattle. You are enjoying the sun and the salt water breezes. You pause your paddling for just a moment, when up out of the water pops Dumas, a very friendly sea otter.
Dumas weighs as much as a medium-sized dog. She is four feet long with fur that is thick, brown and beautiful, and she Dumas, the Friendly Sea Offer has long whiskers like a cat. Best of all, she is an acrobatic swimmer and willing to put on a show. She does a few flips and belly rolls in the water to show you that she is friendly. When she sees that you are pleased by her antics, she climbs right onto the kayak and then onto your lap, sitting there like a pet dog.
Dumas the sea otter was making a habit of doing this to kayakers, and she was gaining quite a reputation. People from all over were taking special kayaking trips just to see her. Somewhere along the way, this wild sea otter had lost her fear of people. Most people thought treating Dumas like a pet was perfectly harmless, but wildlife experts knew otherwise. They expected it was only a matter of time until someone would hurt her or even try to kill her for her fur.
Ken Berg, manager of the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, said, "If she stayed in that area, it was unlikely she would survive." To protect her, the all Dumas, the Friendly Sea Otter thorities decided that Dumas must be moved to a new location where very few people live.
It wasn't hard to catch Dumas. A wildlife biologist kayaked out to the place where she was last seen. As was her habit, she crawled right into his lap. He took her to the Seattle Aquarium where a veterinarian checked out her health. The next day a biologist drove her several hours away to a remote spot on the Pacific Coast. Biologists hope that she will make new friends with her own kind and not seek out the companionship of people.
It would have been sad if this beautiful animal had approached someone who would have harmed or killed her. She is much better off in a remote area where her safety is more certain.
Dumas isn't so different from the rest of us. She became very comfortable with people, and this was a danger for her. You and I have become very comfortable with something that is a danger to us too-we have become very comfortable with sin. Sin is not an innocent plaything, and it is not something to laugh about. Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) warns, "The wages of sin is death." Ezek. 18:2020The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20) also warns, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Sin is dangerous and it is deadly! It might give pleasure for a short time, but its damage and miseries will last forever in a place called hell.
It was fortunate for Dumas that wildlife experts became alarmed at her danger and moved her before anything bad happened. How wonderful for you and me that God saw the danger we were in because of our sins and made a way for us to be rescued from them. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world where He died in the sinner's place. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)). Because of His death on the cross, the gift of eternal life is available for anyone who will accept it. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life" (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)). If you believe on the Lord Jesus, He will take you out of all danger because of your sins and will bring you to a place where you will be safe. He is the only Savior of sinners. Won't you come to Him in faith and be saved? "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).