When I was four years old, my father made a little coaster
out of an old oil drum on a pallet with wheels and two coffee cans
for headlights. I loved that little coaster, and my friends and I
took turns riding it down some slopes near our house.
At dinner one night, my dad asked me where was my coaster
as it wasn’t in the driveway or the garage.
“Oh,” I replied, “I left it down at the end of the
street because all us kids are going to play with it tomorrow.”
My father then said that it won’t be there tomorrow
because someone is going to Steal It.
Humm (?!??)
While I heard him SAY the word “STEAL”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I found out
the next morning when the coaster was gone from where I had carefully left it.
Now I understood!
STEAL means to
take something from someone.
I was so sad about the coaster that I told myself;
'If this is how it feels to someone if you steal something
from somebody I NEVER ever want to steal anything from anybody.'
And while I have broken many of God’s commands,
stealing has never been one of them.
The lesson here is not that I have moral superiority
over anyone, but is more importantly this.
While stealing hurts people financially and sometimes emotionally as well,
we steal from God when we do not give Him the honour, respect,
and praise He deserves. When we do not give Him thanks for giving us
life on earth - and especially not receiving His free gift of
eternal life - it grieves Him immensely.
Friend, stealing — of anykind — causes pain, sorrow, and loss
and when if or when we steal anything, it is also a blight on our soul.
Therefore as God’s Word admonishes us, do not steal!
Not just for the sake of your soul — but for others you may hurt.
Has something ever been stolen from you that is near to your heart?
Like
