It was a delightful warm spring day, perfect for young Jennie to enjoy playing outside. While walking down the street, she noticed a big pile of sand which was being used by some workmen to build a new sidewalk. Suddenly, she noticed something moving in the sand! She stepped closer and discovered a baby painted turtle struggling to get out of the huge sand pile! Jennie realized the turtle would soon die if left in the sand to be covered over by cement, so she picked up the little turtle and brought him home to show her sister and brothers. Jennie’s mom helped her find a fish tank for the turtle to live in, and soon the little creature was swimming happily in the tank.
Did you know that just like the little turtle, you need to be rescued too? Each one of us has gone his own way, and we are stuck in the quicksand of sin. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But God does not want us to keep struggling helplessly in sin; He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). God sent Jesus into the world, and Jesus died on a cross and shed His blood so that our sins could be forgiven.
Jennie decided to name the turtle Speedy. He needed a resting place in his new home, so Jennie put a small rock in the tank so he could climb up on it and rest. Then she learned that turtles like to eat earthworms. It was great fun to find a long worm in the garden, then drop it into the tank and watch Speedy gobble down the worm, gulp by gulp. Speedy seemed quite happy in his tank.
Jennie put the tank outside the back door each summer day so he could enjoy the warm sunshine. At night, Jennie brought the tank inside so Speedy would be safe in the house. However, one evening she forgot all about Speedy sitting outside in his open tank in the dark.
In the morning, Jennie suddenly remembered the little turtle. She ran outside, but Speedy’s tank was empty! On the sides of the tank, there were some muddy paw prints. They were raccoon paw prints! And raccoons like to eat turtles! Jennie was so sad when she realized that poor Speedy had likely been eaten by a hungry raccoon, prowling about in the dark.
Jennie had forgotten about Speedy, but God will NEVER forget a child of His. He tells His people, “Yet will I not forget [you]” (Isaiah 49:15). Once you belong to the Lord Jesus, you are safe forever. You can never be lost in sin again. Jesus tells us in John 10:28, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” And we are doubly safe because the next verse tells us, “My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29). We pray that you will move out of the quicksand of sin and into the safety of the Father’s hand! Will you do that right now?
MEMORY VERSE: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” John 10:28
ML-03/17/2019