Kristen and Johnny had two cute little gerbils named Arnold and Bucky. They were both active little animals, as most gerbils are, but Bucky was especially adventuresome. He explored everywhere he could when he was allowed out of his cage.
One week, Kristen and Johnny went to visit their grandmother, leaving their gerbils with their parents at home. Early in the week Daddy noticed that Bucky was not in the cage. The lid had not been closed tightly and was slightly ajar. If you’ve ever had a gerbil, you know it doesn’t need much room to squeeze through. Bucky had gotten out!
Every night after Daddy came home from work, he went gerbil hunting. The cage was kept in the basement, so that is where Daddy searched. Although he spent many hours trying to catch Bucky, there were too many hiding places. He saw Bucky several times, but he could never catch him.
When the children came home a few days later, Bucky was still loose. Kristen thought that since Bucky was her pet, she would be able to catch him, but Bucky didn’t seem to remember their fun times. Johnny tried everything he could think of too. They put food out by the cage and then waited quietly for Bucky to come and get it. However, when Bucky did come and they dove to catch him, he always escaped.
Then one day Kristen prayed, asking the Lord Jesus to help them catch Bucky. Do you think such a little thing matters enough to talk about to the Lord Jesus? It does matter to Him, because, as the Bible tells us, “He [cares] for [or about] you” (1 Peter 5:77Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)). Everything that matters to you, matters to Him.
Later that day, as Kristen looked for Bucky, the quick little gerbil ran behind an old bookcase that was being stored in the basement. Running behind the bookcase was easy, but Bucky soon discovered that there was no way to continue running away. The bookcase sat in the corner of the basement. Bucky could run behind the bookcase until he reached the corner, but then he was stuck, because the bookcase sat tightly against the wall. He could not go under it either. The only way out was the same way he had gotten in. Kristen was guarding that end. Bucky was trapped!
Kristen called for Daddy and he brought the cage quickly. Together they were able to get Bucky back into the cage.
The Lord had answered Kristen’s prayer, and so easily too. I’m sure the family must have thought, “If we had prayed about it sooner, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble.”
Bucky settled down to his normal caged life. But about two days later Kristen noticed that Bucky seemed sick, and he got worse over the next two days. On the fourth day after he was caught, Bucky died.
Kristen and Johnny’s parents wondered if Bucky had eaten something that was not good for him while he was out of the cage. Bucky might have thought he was having a good time while he was loose, but his good time led to his death.
Some boys and girls are so busy having good times that they don’t want to think about God. Sometimes even children who love the Lord Jesus Christ and know Him as their Savior want to go their own way, like Bucky did, and do things that are not pleasing to Him. But those “good times” will only last a short time, while our souls live forever. And those good times can be very bad for us too, just like Bucky’s was! If you have not trusted in the Lord Jesus and are “running away” from Him, why not allow yourself to be “caught”? He wants to have you safe in His loving arms. He loves you so much that He has already taken the punishment for all your sins if you will only believe in Him. He shed His precious blood on Calvary’s cross for all who accept Him as their Savior. He promises that “him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)). If you do know Him but are not obeying Him, I hope you will go to Him right now in prayer. He wants to have you close to Himself to keep you safe and fill your heart with joy.
And if you do know Him, here’s a verse to think about. The Bible tells us, “If we ask anything according to His will, He [hears] us” (1 John 5:1414And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (1 John 5:14)). There is no problem we have that is too small or too big to bring to the Lord Jesus in prayer.
Messages of God’s Love 9/10/2023