Mr. Shooks worked in a hardware store in a small town. He loved children and knew nearly all of them that came into the store.
He soon noticed that Danny was coming in unusually often. He would stand on his toes and take down a toy truck and examine it very carefully. There were many other toy trucks there, but Danny always looked at the same one. Then he would put it back in its place, turn and walk slowly out of the store.
Then one day Danny bounded into the store and went straight to the toy trucks. He reached for the same one, then hurried to the counter where Mr. Shooks stood watcng him. Happily Danny placed the truck on the counter and then laid a white envelope beside it with some money sealed inside. Mr. Shooks opened the envelope and carefully counted out the bills and change. But he had to tell Danny that he didn’t have quite enough—he need twenty-five cents more.
Poor Danny. Tears came to his eyes as he said, “I’ve been saving all my money to buy that truck for my little brother. He would really like to have it and I thought I had enough.” Mr. Shooks felt sorry for him, and reaching into his own pocket he pulled out a quarter and laid it with Danny’s money. “There, now that is enough,” he said to Danny.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Shooks. Thank you very much!” he exclaimed. Then he picked up the truck and ran happily out of the store.
Danny was only twenty-five cents short, but still he was short. And the Bible tells us, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).
It didn’t cost Mr. Shooks much to reach into his pocket and pull out that quarter, but it cost God a great deal to save you and me from our sins. It cost Him His beloved Son. Danny could pay part of the price of his toy truck, but we could not pay anything on our debt of sin. Danny might have been able to save up twenty-five cents more if he had tried a little harder, but we can’t save up good deeds to pay our sins’ debt, for God says even our best is but filthy rags to Him. “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6). It is only by His grace that we can be saved.
ML-05/11/1980