Artists often draw pictures of raccoons with masks on their faces. In children’s animal stories, they are usually the villain or thief. In real life they are very, very clever animals, but often they are also a problem and can be very destructive. This is the reason why they are described as the thief in stories.
Mr. Linden had been bothered by a raccoon that had become a real problem. It was killing his chickens, one at a time, until he had lost 20 in all. But when his neighbor lost some ducks and 30 chickens all in one night, the coon was now killing just for the sake of killing. Something had to be done about this destructive raccoon!
Soon after, Mr. Linden’s dog alerted him that something was wrong outside. He went out to see what was going on. There in the shed was a large, fat raccoon eating the bag of dog food. It just turned its head, looked at Mr. Linden and went back to eating the dog food. Mr. Linden took a step toward the coon, so it decided to go somewhere else where it wouldn’t be bothered. Mr. Linden’s dog, a very large dog, was let out to guard things after that.
Not long after, a fight took place outside, which brought Mr. Linden out with a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other. The bold raccoon was cornered in the shed, but stood its ground against the dog. The corner of the dog’s mouth was bleeding, the result of the raccoon’s sharp claws or a bite. Mr. Linden now had no choice. He held the flashlight with one hand while he fired the gun with the other. The coon fell dead.
When I visited Mr. Linden, there was the coonskin stretched out on a board to dry. The killing of ducks and chickens had stopped. It made me think of how sin and Satan go on and on in this world. There is so much heartache, unhappiness, confusion, killing and destruction because of it. “Evil men and seducers . . . [grow] worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13). Wicked men, when not punished, become bolder and bolder, just like the raccoon in our story.
Yes, because of sin, God must act in judgment. He must step in and bring it to a stop. God must punish sin, but He loves the sinner and wants to forgive him.
The Bible tells us God sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, down into this sin-filled world to save you. Jesus died, bearing God’s punishment for sin and shed His blood on Calvary’s cross to wash away your sins, if you will believe and accept Him. He gives a new life and a new nature to any boy or girl or grown-up who will accept Him as his or her Saviour.
The raccoon could not receive a new nature, so it had to be destroyed. Those who will not accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will have to be punished for their sins. The Lord Jesus said, “He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him . . . the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:4848He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)). But “he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)). Have you believed on the Lord Jesus? Oh, how He loves you and wants to save you and bless you! Won’t you trust Him now?
ML-08/14/2016