Jewel # 64 (July 22, 2010)

To My dear grandchildren

Playing with Danger

What a beautiful day, Faye thought as she looked out the window.  Then she saw something that wasn't so beautiful.  It was Tommy, her cat.  That bad cat!" she exclaimed. "He's caught another chipmunk!"

Feeling sorry for the chipmunk, Faye ran out into the front yard and grabbed Tommy by the scruff of the neck, forcing him to drop the chipmunk.

All of us, from the time we are born, are so much like the chipmunk in the cat's mouth.  God tells us that Satan is the god and prince of this world, and we are under his power until the Lord Jesus sets us free.  We know that chipmunk could not have freed itself from Tommy's jaws, and we cannot free ourselves from Satan's power either.  Only the Lord Jesus can free us, because He broke Satan's power when He died on the cross.  

"Through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."  

(Hebrews 2:14-15)

The little chipmunk was still very lively and didn't seem to be hurt.  He ran a few feet and then turned to face the cat.  Sitting on his little haunches, he scolded the cat, almost as if he was daring the cat to catch him.

You can guess what the cat did.  Of course, he soon had the chipmunk in his mouth again.

Faye freed the chipmunk a second time, and then she scolded Tommy.  But still the chipmunk didn't run far away.

Sometimes young people act like that chipmunk - they seem to love dangerous things and to play with sin.  They are like those in Proverbs 2:13 "who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk  in the ways of darkness."  But God gives the warning, 

"Go not in the way of evil men.  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."  (Proverbs 4:14-15)

It wasn't until Faye took Tommy indoors that the chipmunk ran away.  But she couldn't help wondering how long that chipmunk would live if it kept on daring its enemies.

God gives more warnings about our enemy:  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).  It is so dangerous to fool around with Satan.  Trust in the Lord Jesus who loves you and died for you and escape from the enemy and the wrath to come.  

Jewel # 63 (July 12, 2010)

To my dear grandchildren,

Big Trouble for Big Birds

Have you ever been in trouble?  Most of us would have to answer "yes," and some of us would have to admit we needed help to get our of that trouble.  Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour know that He "is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).  We only need to ask Him for help.

This story is about a large group of bald eagles that got into serious trouble and needed help.  If you have never seen bald eagles, they are large, magnificent birds, and when fully grown they can measure up to three feet long, with wing spans of seven feet.  Their white heads and tails and large, yellow bills easily identify the mature eagles.  One favorite food of these birds is fish.

Almost half of all bald eagles in the world live in Alaska.  God cares for them and gave them homes near an abundance of food.  He sees and cares for all His creation, not just the beautiful creatures, but the plain, little ones too.   In Matthew 10:29 we learn that even when a sparrow falls to the ground [or dies], God sees it and cares.  And if He cares for the little sparrow, He cares much, much more for the people He made and loves.

One winter a large fish-processing plant in Alaska parked a truck outside that was full of fish waste and left it uncovered.  Fifty or more eagles swarmed onto the back of that uncovered truck to feast on the fish remains.  Although the eagles did not know it, they would soon be in serious trouble.

As the feasting eagles tore apart the fish remains, they were soon covered with fish oil.  The poor creatures could not fly or even clean their feathers.  Some were so weak the other feasting birds trampled on top of them, injuring them.  In the very cold temperature, the birds began to freeze and die.  What a sad mess!  These birds needed help fast, but birds can't call out for help.

Have you ever had to call for help, maybe to your dad or mom?  It's always a relief when they answer right away, especially if it's serious trouble.  But each of us has a very serious problem that family or friends cannot help us with.  If we really think about the seriousness of our sins and that God says they will take us to a hopeless, everlasting hell, He wants us to know that not accepting the Lord Jesus as our Saviour is the MOST serious trouble possible.  Jesus is the only One who can help us with our serious sin problem.  God warns us, "The wages of sin is death,"  but then He adds the help we need: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).  If we realize our danger, the Lord Jesus is listening for our call for help.

Of course, the eagles did not realize their danger, but some of the workers at the processing plant did.  The truck was quickly moved inside the plant, and the contents were dumped on the floor.  The eagles needed to be revived.  They were so soaked in the fish oil that they could barely move, even when they were frightened and tried to scatter.  Wildlife caretakers were called and began to catch the perishing eagles.  What a job they had!  The eagles had to be cleaned with dish soap in tubs of warm water.  Then they were taken to a heated building to dry and recover.  Sadly at least nineteen eagles died, but many survived and were able to be released into the wild again . . . because there were people there to help them in their trouble.

If you haven't taken the Lord Jesus as your own Saviour, NOW is the the time to accept Him and know you have His help now and forever.  The Lord is near for each  one who belongs to Him, not only in times of trouble, but also each day of our lives.  He says, "I will never leave thee, not forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).