Joe and I used to have a lot of fun as we walked back and forth to school. We lived in the country, and the road to the school was about a mile long. There were fields and woods on both sides of the road, but no houses. Sometimes we would see a farmer on a tractor in the field, but usually there was nobody around. We used to run through the woods, climb the trees and sometimes pick the flowers along the way.
One day, we noticed a new sign which read, “No Trespassing.” This meant we had to stay on the road and not go into these woods. It meant we could no longer climb the trees or pick the flowers. We didn’t like that sign because it took away some of our fun. We threw a few stones at it the first day, and each day we threw more stones at it. Then we decided to throw mud at it until we could hardly read the words anymore.
We were acting like boys and girls who don’t like the warning signs in the Bible and who try to stay away from anyone who might tell them about Jesus.
One morning as we passed the woods, a new “No Trespassing” sign had been put up. This time we climbed the fence and pulled up the sign, post and all, and then we ran as fast as we could. But somebody had seen us. The farmer had been watching, and he chased us all the way to school.
He went right into the principal’s office. It didn’t take the principal long to find out who the bad boys were. We were punished not only at school but when we got home too! The farmer had gotten our names and phone numbers and called our parents. We had to pay for the sign we ruined and replace the sign we had pulled up.
Joe and I should have known that ruining the first sign and pulling up the second sign did not change the law, “No Trespassing.” Some people think that they won’t have to answer to God if they just forget about Him and ignore what the Bible says.
We ran away from the farmer for almost a mile, but we were caught and punished. Some people go on for fifty years or more, running away from God. But in the end, they will be punished for their sins. “The wages 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)).
The farmer was angry with us. But God, against whom you have sinned, loves you and wants to forgive you! He hates your sins but loves you so much that His own Son, the Lord Jesus, died for you so that you can go free, if you will trust in Him as your very own Saviour.
ML-04/06/2003