When a boy has an older brother he usually wants to do things as well as his brother does. My older brother, Dee, was just 16 months older, but he was much bigger and stronger. He could run faster, throw rocks farther, and build kites better than even some of the older boys in the neighborhood. I hoped that someday I could do all those things as well as he did.
We lived in a small, country community of 10 or 12 families. Nearly everyone kept animals. Most had chickens and some had milk cows too. To keep the animals out of the flower and vegetable gardens, most homes had fences. Even front yards often had fences. Dad was building a fence around our yard.
Country fences in the early 1930’s were not like the beautiful white wooden or chain link fences we see today. Where we lived most fences were made from chicken wire. Some fences were barbed wire, which is a twisted wire with sharp barbs that would prick animals if they tried to knock it down.
Dad was putting up a chicken wire fence, but at the top and bottom he was going to add one strand of barbed wire. The heavier barbed wire helped support the lighter chicken wire. But at the time of this story, Dad had only the top barbed wire strung and tightly attached to the fence posts. The chicken wire and the bottom barbed wire hadn’t been out up yet.
We boys were down in the pasture playing, and our game was not a very nice thing to be doing. We were rock fighting. Yes, we were actually throwing rocks and stones at each other, something we all knew wasn’t allowed. Our younger brother Jimmy was on Dee’s side, and I was on the other side with some neighborhood boys. Our side was not very good at throwing such a long way. But one of my throws went a long way ... and with good aim. I hit Jimmy with a rock. That’s when the race began.
I knew immediately that I was in big trouble with Dee. He did not run to the house to tell what I had done; he ran after me to give me what he thought I deserved for hitting Jimmy.
Now I knew the only way I could beat Dee in a foot race was to have a long head start. Knowing what he would do to me if I did not win this race, I started for home where I knew I would be safe. I had gotten what I deserved from him before. Knowing what would happen again was all I needed to make good use of my head start to reach the safety of home.
I did make it home before Dee caught up with me, but things did not happen like I thought they would. As I ducked to go under the barbed wire Dad had strung up for the fence, my forehead hit the wire. It knocked me down hard and I lay bleeding on the ground.
I had, in fact, beaten my brother home, but there was no relief or joy in winning that race. I was about to learn what Numbers 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23) means: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Just when I thought I had reached the house and safety, there was the wire to bring out the truth. As my mother worked on my bleeding and torn forehead, the whole reason for my racing home came out. Mother found out about our harmful, forbidden game.
Sometimes God uses a jolt like the wire to remind us that each of us is a sinner. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Isaiah 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6). Yes, we boys knew that what we were doing was wrong. We were not allowed to throw rocks at each other. Our breaking the rules was discovered in a painful way, ending with my lying bleeding on the ground. Our sin was found out, just like the verse says.
Have you ever done something wrong that you thought you got away with? Perhaps your parents or teacher never found out about it. But that doesn’t mean you got away with it. There’s a verse in the Bible that says, “Thou God seest me.” Genesis 16:1313And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (Genesis 16:13). That’s not the only verse: “His [God’s] eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings.” Job 34:2121For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. (Job 34:21). And here’s another one, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:33The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3). There is no doubt that God sees every one of our sins. And He requires that someone has to pay the penalty for every one of those sins. Are you going to have to pay for yours? You won’t if you will accept God’s loving offer of salvation.
He sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross to pay that penalty. If you will admit to Him that you are a sinner and accept His shed blood as payment for your sins, you are free — the penalty has been paid! “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:3636If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36).
Who will pay the penalty for your sins? You, or the Lord Jesus?
ML 02/04/1990