Sergeant Tibbs took up his position by the window and watched as Danny, his little master, walked down the driveway to the school bus. He would be sitting there again when Danny walked back up the driveway after school. He liked Danny because he often petted him or scratched his ears.
Sarge, as he was called, led a good life for a cat. When he wasn't sitting on somebody's lap having his ears scratched or being petted, he was out hunting chipmunks or birds in the fields and woods all around his home. One day, however, his easy cat life had a sudden interruption! That was the day he had to go to the veterinarian.
Danny was assigned the job of holding Sarge in the car while they drove to the vet's office. When the car door closed, Sarge became uneasy and wanted to get down, but Danny held onto him. Then when the car started to move, Sarge suddenly clawed his way off Danny's lap and dove under the seat. He stayed there for the whole ten-mile ride. Poor Sarge was terrified! When they pulled into the parking lot and one of the car doors was opened, Sarge shot out and ran away before anyone could catch him.
The cat had never been to the vet's office before, so the whole neighborhood was new to him. And there were dogs around that he certainly would not want to meet. Sarge only wanted to go home, and poor Danny loved his cat and wanted him back.
You and I are like Sarge. Our sins have separated us from God, and so we are lost from God. But the Bible also tells us that God loves you and me and wants us back. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, purposely to find and save us. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)).
Danny was so sad. His parents drove around and asked people if they had seen a black and white cat, but no one had. Danny finally gave up hope of ever seeing his cat again.
One night three or four days later when the family got home and got out of the car, Danny heard a cat meowing. He was sure it couldn't be his cat, but out of the bushes came a much thinner Sergeant Tibbs! How he found his way back home is hard to say. We know that God has given some animals the ability to find their way, and some have traveled even greater distances than ten miles. You may be sure that both Danny and his cat were delighted to be together again.
The Lord Jesus wants to take you home to heaven where He is. He says in John 14:22In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2), “In My Father's house are many mansions.... I go to prepare a place for you.” How can we be sure we are going to heaven to be with Him? We certainly can't go there with our sins, and we can't get rid of them by ourselves. The answer is in John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6): “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” Each of us needs to come to the Lord Jesus and let Him wash our sins away. It isn't hard to come to Him, even though we can't see Him. Just bow your head and tell Him you are a sinner and want to be saved from your sins and the punishment you deserve. He promises to cleanse you from every sin, and He will be so glad to have you back! “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:1010Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:10)).
ML-12/28/2008