Did you ever make a wish on a wishbone?
You probably know what a wishbone is, but in case you don’t, a wishbone is the forked bone in the chest of a bird. You may have seen one when you had a whole roasted chicken or turkey for a meal. When your mom buys a chicken that is already cut up, the wishbone has been broken. But if the bird is whole, look for it sometime.
When we were young my sister and I would find the wishbone in a cooked chicken or turkey (turkeys have quite large ones, you know), and my mother would carefully clean off all the meat. Then she would set the bone on the windowsill where the sun would shine on it and dry it out.
When it is dry, a wishbone is quite brittle and will snap easily. My sister and I would each take hold of one fork of the wishbone and pull. Of course, before we pulled on it we would each make a silent wish. Did you ever wish for something? I don’t remember what I used to wish for. It was probably something that I wanted very much, like a new bicycle, or some toy, or something special to eat.
What chance do you think there was of my wish coming true? Did the wishbone have any power to give me my wish? No it didn’t, and I think I realized that, but somehow I must have thought that maybe, just maybe, it would come true.
How foolish it is to trust in wishes!
When Jesus was here on earth He said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36). His words sound far more certain than wishes, don’t they? I hope you noticed that in this verse there are only two kinds of people — those who believe on Him as their own Saviour and those who don’t believe. Which are you? Boys and girls, and grown-ups too, who believe on Him have (that’s definite) everlasting life.
And for those who don’t believe, the judgment of God awaits them. That means they do not have their sins forgiven, and they must bear the punishment for their sins in hell forever, away from God. That’s definite too!
Jesus also said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” John 10:27-3027My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one. (John 10:27‑30). Are you a follower (a sheep) of Jesus? If so, He says definitely that we have eternal life, and that we cannot in any way be taken from Him. We are held in His and His Father’s hands. Now that’s security, isn’t it!
After my sister and I each had made a wish, we would pull on the wishbone until it broke. Whoever got the larger piece of the wishbone with the web at the top was supposed to have his wish come true. But I don’t ever remember that any of our wishes came true.
One day I heard of a trick to get the larger piece of bone with the web. Supposedly the one who pulls first will usually get the smaller piece. I tried letting my sister pull first a few times, and it worked. But when she figured out the trick she wouldn’t pull either. There we would sit, each holding a side of the wishbone, waiting for the other person to pull. Usually one of us would lose our patience and pull... and end up with the smaller piece. Well, that trick spoiled all the fun, so we quit wishing on wishbones.
I hope you don’t just wish you were saved from your sins, but that you are definitely trusting in the Lord Jesus as your own Saviour so that you know for sure that you are saved. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” 1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13).
ML-10/29/1989