What's in the Box?

P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

What's in the Box?
A new minister had recently been married. Upon returning home from their honeymoon, the young wife turned to her husband with a box in her hand. She said to her husband, "Please promise, dear, that no matter what, you will never look in this box." Although this seemed like a very strange request, the minister assured his wife that he would never look in the box. Twenty years went by and the seasoned minister was looking around his wardrobe, when he came across the box which, to him, had been long forgotten. He looked at the box and said to himself, "Surely after all these years, it must be okay to peek inside." So he opened the box and inside it he found $1,200 and three eggs. Just then, his wife entered the room. "I thought I asked you never to look inside!" she exclaimed. Looking just a bit sheepish, the minister apologized to his wife, but then said that since he had peeked inside, would she mind explaining the contents. "Well," replied his wife. "If you must know, every time you preached a bad sermon, I put an egg in the box." The minister thought about that for a moment and figured that he had been preaching for twenty years so three eggs wasn't bad at all. "That explains the eggs," he replied, "but what about the $1200?" His wife replied, "Every time I got a dozen, I sold them." Ouch! Perhaps I should give special thanks to God for a wife who doesn't keep count of such things. On the other hand, imagine the nice computer I could buy with the money if she had! Friend, isn't it great that we have a God who doesn't "keep count"! What if God had a box where He kept a running total of all the times you made a mistake? I realize that God does keep a record, but when we take steps to receive His forgiveness, the box is thrown out. He doesn't overlook sin, but He is willing to forgive sin. In Psalm 103:12, the psalmist David writes: "God has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west." Well friend, we all know that east and west can never meet. So in these words David provides us with a symbolic portrait of God's forgiveness as he tells us that when God forgives our sin, He separates it from us and doesn't even remember it. How marvellous is God's ability (and willingness) to forgive! Perhaps, like many people I know, you're experiencing some difficulty in accepting God's forgiveness for some past mistakes in your life. Well, the good news is that you don't have to spend the rest of your life hating yourself for having made those mistakes. You see, God does not want you to live with terrible feelings of guilt. So if you would like some help in understanding how you can accept God's offer of forgiveness, I invite you to write to me and ask for a FREE booklet titled "Accepting Forgiveness." This booklet will provide you with some exciting steps you can take. My address is: P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. If you prefer, you can request your copy by Phone/Fax on: (08) 98 418 418, or Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au Have a great day!

What's in the Box?

A new minister had recently been married. Upon returning home from their honeymoon, the young wife turned to her husband with a box in her hand. She said to her husband, "Please promise, dear, that no matter what, you will never look in this box." Although this seemed like a very strange request, the minister assured his wife that he would never look in the box.

Twenty years went by and the seasoned minister was looking around his wardrobe, when he came across the box which, to him, had been long forgotten. He looked at the box and said to himself, "Surely after all these years, it must be okay to peek inside." So he opened the box and inside it he found $1,200 and three eggs. Just then, his wife entered the room.

"I thought I asked you never to look inside!" she exclaimed. Looking just a bit sheepish, the minister apologized to his wife, but then said that since he had peeked inside, would she mind explaining the contents.

"Well," replied his wife. "If you must know, every time you preached a bad sermon, I put an egg in the box." The minister thought about that for a moment and figured that he had been preaching for twenty years so three eggs wasn't bad at all.

"That explains the eggs," he replied, "but what about the $1200?"

His wife replied, "Every time I got a dozen, I sold them."

Ouch! Perhaps I should give special thanks to God for a wife who doesn't keep count of such things. On the other hand, imagine the nice computer I could buy with the money if she had!

Friend, isn't it great that we have a God who doesn't "keep count"! What if God had a box where He kept a running total of all the times you made a mistake? I realize that God does keep a record, but when we take steps to receive His forgiveness, the box is thrown out. He doesn't overlook sin, but He is willing to forgive sin.

In Psalm 103:12, the psalmist David writes: "God has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west." Well friend, we all know that east and west can never meet. So in these words David provides us with a symbolic portrait of God's forgiveness as he tells us that when God forgives our sin, He separates it from us and doesn't even remember it. How marvellous is God's ability (and willingness) to forgive!

Perhaps, like many people I know, you're experiencing some difficulty in accepting God's forgiveness for some past mistakes in your life. Well, the good news is that you don't have to spend the rest of your life hating yourself for having made those mistakes. You see, God does not want you to live with terrible feelings of guilt. So if you would like some help in understanding how you can accept God's offer of forgiveness, I invite you to write to me and ask for a FREE booklet titled "Accepting Forgiveness." This booklet will provide you with some exciting steps you can take. My address is: P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331. If you prefer, you can request your copy by Phone/Fax on: (08) 98 418 418, or Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Have a great day!