My “life of crime” really took off when I was about 9!
Walking home from school, I’d pass an old truck parked on the side of this guy’s driveway. It wasn’t running. One day, for some reason, I got the idea of sneaking up to the truck, removing the gas cap, and dropping a rock down into the gas tank! I did it, no one saw me, and it was cool — hearing that rock tumble all the way down into the tank.
A week or so later I felt the urge to do it again — only this time I’d drop two rocks in at the same time! Awesome! A couple days later I came back for more: this time it was a small handful of pebbles. Now that sounded cool — all those little guys, tumbling down the long neck of that gas tank! Pretty soon I graduated — not from school but to new objects to stuff down the tank: grass, dirt, etc.
The Bible says our sins will find us out! Sure enough: The day of reckoning finally arrived! I snuck up to the truck, holding a weed with the soil still attached to the roots. As I was unscrewing the gas cap, I had the strangest feeling somebody was watching. I turned around — and there he was: the owner of the truck! He was really peeved!
Honestly, the scariest thought entering my mind was not what this guy might do to me. My paranoia was: “What if he tells my dad?”
You see, we lived on the same street! He was about four houses down, across the street from us. He stood there, staring at me, smoking — out of his ears! Then he spoke: “What are you doing?
I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I do remember it included an apology — and a plea for forgiveness! His response was nothing short of miraculous: “Don’t you ever do that again!”
Stuffing those objects down into his gas tank was pretty wicked! Had he tried to start the truck, at the very least the fuel system would have been plugged up; worse-case scenario: The engine itself could have been ruined!
Yet, unbelievably, he pardoned me; he did not hold me accountable for my crime. It wasn’t because I was cute, irresistibly winsome, or “Chucky the Charming”! He simply took it upon himself to remedy the serious problem. Nothing ever came of it; nothing was ever said to my dad.
That is something I’ll never forget because Dad’s wrath is something I still remember! It was always swift and severe. There were times when I deserved to be punished — but my mom would usually intervene because Dad tended to be a little extreme when correcting my bad behavior!
I realize Good Friday and Easter Sunday are already past for the year, but it’s always such a blessing to recall, to celebrate what Jesus did on our behalf!
Through faith in Him alone, we are pardoned, we are justified, acquitted of our sins. The Father’s just-wrath was poured out on Jesus at His crucifixion. We receive the awesome gift of forgiveness solely by faith in Christ and what He did for us.
Along with God’s pardon comes freedom from the grip of regret and guilt. Never forget that Satan accuses and condemns; God convicts and acquits. Regret is a real killer. Life goes on — and so must we! Man, do we have some celebrating to do!