BILLY jumped on his bicycle and waved good-by to his mother. He just had time to get to school, and he didn’t want to be late, and so I am afraid he was pedaling just a little too hard. At any rate, he didn’t see a big bus coming down the street until the very last minute. Just in time, he swerved to safety, and at the same time, the bus driver pulled up short with tires screaming. He jumped down off his bus and went over to Billy, who was shaking with fright at his narrow escape.
The driver accused him of riding down the middle of the road and not looking where he was going. He took down the lad’s name and address, and made him understand that he would have him brought before an officer and fined for his carelessness.
As soon as he reached home that night, Billy told his father the whole story. The very next day, Billy’s father went to the bus company’s head office, and told the story. The official in charge looked up the driver’s report, and thought carefully for awhile. Then he called in an assistant, and said, “When the charge comes up against Billy Watson, forget it.” The assistant nodded, made a note in his book, and walked away.
“Thank you very much, sir,” said Billy’s father. “I will see that Billy is more careful.”
Then he hurried home to tell Billy the good news. And you may be sure Billy was much relieved, for he had already been busy counting his money to see if he had enough to pay a fine for his carelessness.
“Forget it!” Those were the words that made Billy happy.
Is there anything in your life that you would like to forget? Are there any lies and sins that you wish had never happened? God has seen them all, and written them all down too. Even as you are reading this paper, the eye of God is upon you and He knows everything you have said and done. are there not very many things that you wish God would forget? Listen, then, to what He has to say,
Isn’t that wonderful! It didn’t cost the official anything to forget Billy’s offense. But it cost God the gift of His own dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in order that your sins and mine might be blotted out forever.
“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).
Messages of God’s Love 12/29/1957