David, Charlotte and Stephen were enjoying their new dog very much. Jessé was a beautiful golden Labrador retriever with a lot of “puppy ways.”
One Saturday afternoon, David and Stephen decided to go to the ball field for a game of ball. It was a beautiful sunny day - a nice change from Friday’s rain.
As the boys gathered up their bat, ball and gloves, Jessé smiled her doggy smile and wagged her tail, hoping they would take her along. Yes, they planned to take her too.
Off they went to the field with Jessé on her new leash. When they arrived, David decided to let Jessé run free while the ball game was under way.
It was a good game and the score was close . . . so close that the boys forgot the time. It wasn’t until the sun was setting in the evening sky that David suddenly remembered! “Oops, where’s the dog?”
“Jessé, Jessé,” called David. But there was no answering bark. David called again, louder.
He noticed a black dog standing away down at the other end of the field. But he knew that couldn’t be Jessé—she was golden.
David was getting worried. Once again he called, “Jessé, here, Jessé.” Strangely, the black dog started to bound toward him. He found this very puzzling. The black dog came closer and closer and yelped in delight. Finally, it came right up to David. Suddenly, he was shocked to discover that the black dog was really Jessé!
Jessé had spent the afternoon acting like a pig instead of a dog. She had rolled in all the squishy, black mud at the far end of the playing field. Nobody would know that under all that black mud was a beautiful golden coat.
And sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone is a Christian, because some Christians are all covered with “black mud.” We would never know to look at them that their hearts have been washed clean of their sins. It’s all hidden under the “black mud” of acting and talking like their friends who don’t love Jesus. The fact that they made the decision to let the Lord Jesus wash them clean of their sins will never, never change. “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:1212For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:12)). True, their sins are gone, but their new life in Jesus cannot be seen.
Even though Jessé was covered with black mud, she was still a golden Lab. And David still loved his dog, but he sure was disgusted with her. Can you imagine how much work it took for him to get Jessé clean again? The scrubbing she got wasn’t very pleasant for her either, and neither was the scolding.
Dear Christian boy or girl, are you shining clear and true for your Lord Jesus Christ? He loves you and has bought you for a great price. His precious blood was shed on Calvary’s cross to wash you clean of sin. Though His love for you never changes, how sad He must be when that new life, which He has purchased at such a cost, is hidden under the black mud of worldly friends, worldly language, worldly fun or secret sin. It’s never too late to get rid of the dark worldly color and let your beautiful heavenly color shine clearly again.
ML-04/02/1995