Jimmy was spending a long afternoon at Grandma’s house. Grandma lived in a neighborhood of mostly older people, so there were no children around to play with. All the grown-ups were talking in the kitchen, and little Jimmy didn’t have anything to do.
Suddenly he remembered the pretty glass bowl that Grandma kept on top of the cabinet in the dining room. Yellow candies were usually in the bowl. Jimmy thought he needed one. He went into the dining room and peered over the top of the cabinet. Sure enough, there was the glass bowl . . . but no candies. Disappointed, Jimmy rested his chin on the cabinet top, looking at the empty bowl.
Now what could he do? He noticed the cabinet had some drawers. He pulled one open and started looking through it. All he found were some old napkins and tablecloths. They even smelled old, like mothballs. But wait, what was this . . . a candy bar! He could tell from the wrapper that it had peanuts, chocolate and caramel in it.
As Jimmy took the candy bar out, he had an uneasy feeling inside. He knew the candy bar was not his to take. He thought of asking his grandma - she had probably forgotten all about the candy bar and would be glad to let him have it. But then he would have to go into the kitchen and ask, and his mom wouldn’t like him asking for it. Jimmy made up his mind just to eat the candy bar without telling anyone. Grandma would never miss it.
Jimmy’s uneasy feeling came from God. God, our Creator, has given each man and woman and boy and girl a conscience. That is the feeling that bothers us when we are doing something wrong. It also tells us we are sinners. Many times we choose to go right ahead and do what we want in spite of what our conscience tells us -just like Jimmy was about to do. Then we try to forget about it. But God does not forget. He is holy and cannot let even a little sin slide by without His noticing it. “God requireth that which is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:1515That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. (Ecclesiastes 3:15)).
Grandma’s yard had a high hedge around it. He could find a good place in the hedge to hide with the candy bar. So Jimmy crouched in the cool, leafy shade of the hedge and unwrapped it. He opened his mouth wide and took a big bite. But oh dear, he spit it out just as quickly. The candy bar was so old it was hard and had an awful taste! It must have been in that drawer for a long, long time. What a disappointment it turned out to be for Jimmy.
Sin is just like that. It often looks like something we want -something we might enjoy. But it always ends in unhappiness. The Bible tells us that “the wages [payment] of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
If Jimmy had just asked his grandma about the candy bar, she would have known it was not good to eat, and she would have given him something better. And if you will come to the Lord Jesus with your sins, He will wash them all away and give you something much better - His gift of a happy home with Him in heaven forever.
ML-11/09/1997