These are very old words. They were spoken by Moses, the man of God, to the people of Israel very many hundreds of years ago. But they are as real, as living today for each of us as they were all that long time ago.
In a great city some boys were engaged in a house of business. We know God's eye was on each one of these boys, watching them from morning to night, and we know, too, that He put down in His book all they did and said.
One of the boys had his eye upon his employer's money.
"No one will miss a few pennies: no one will see me," thought he.
He found that there was a little drawer, where some pennies were kept, which was not emptied with the others at night.
One evening when the boy was near this drawer he softly opened it, snatched out a penny, and put it in his pocket. As no one seemed to notice him, he grew bolder, till he began to take two or three pennies at a time.
Little did he think that the clerk who had to do with that drawer had been very much puzzled each morning. Surely he had counted so many pennies, and put the value down in his book, and yet the number was different the next day. For you must know that even in great places of business, where, perhaps, two or three hundred clerks are busily employed, every single penny that comes in and goes out of the counting house is reckoned. So, while the boy was thinking no one saw him, and because of this was getting bolder in his evil ways, a watch was set; and it became perfectly evident that the thief could only be one out of certain boys, and some pennies were marked and placed in the drawer among the others.
The next morning early the four or five boys who worked late by turns were all called into a room by themselves to appear before the manager. He told them that it was perfectly well known that money had been stolen out of a certain drawer, and that one of them was the thief. He then said, if the thief would confess he would forgive him.
"Now, which of you is the thief?" said he.
All were silent. Some looked very pale, and trembled.
"Now, which one of you is the culprit? Confess it, and I will pardon you," said the man. But they all said,
"No,"
"Put your hands behind your backs, boys—all of you," said the manager. "Now, Mr.—," turning to the foreman, "search these boys."
There were strange odds and ends turned out of the boys' pockets, and sighs of relief as one by one was set aside as innocent. Being tolerably certain who the culprit was, the suspected boy was kept till last.
When his turn came, his defiant look contrasted with the pale faces of the others,
"I ask you again, did you take the money?" said the man.
"No, sir," said John.
"God knows all about it, and lying lips are an abomination to Him, boy."
Bits of string and various treasures such as boys love, came out of poor John's pockets; then one penny, then another, till seven or eight pennies were produced.
"Where did you get these pennies, John?"
"My mother gave them to me."
"Now, did you not steal some of them?"
"No; I did not,'' he said.
As the boy was speaking, the man who had the pennies in his hand, had twisted them round, so that the mark along their rims was bright and clear.
"How dare you tell such lies, boy," said he. "Look here!" John bent over, and in a moment saw the marks. He turned deadly pale, did not utter a word, and fell fiat at the employer's feet in a fainting fit, and for some long time the boy remained unconscious.
"You other boys can go. You see what an awful thing is lying. John's sins have found him out. May it be a warning to you."
I tell you this, boys, for when I heard it, this text of scripture sounded in my ears, "Guilty before God," and I thought of the great judgment day, when all the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest when every sin, every idle word and thought, shall be brought into the light. The sins which have been hidden and denied in life will then be brought home to the heart and conscience. Then it will be too late for mercy, for it will be the Day of Judgment.
"Now," the Bible says, "is the Day of Salvation," and whoever repents of his sins and turns to God for pardon shall receive pardon, Through the blood of Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all who desire God's mercy. You are young, but not so young as not to have committed sins, which God's eye has seen, and which are written down in His book. What. is to be done? Confess your guilt to God now. Seek Flis pardon now—today.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, avid to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." John 1:77The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (John 1:7).
Messages of God’s Love 7/22/1934