The news headline read “Missing Fisherman Found After Six Days.”
The story went on to tell of a fisherman who had fallen into a deep ravine, broken his arm and his legs, and survived on insects and water until another hiker heard his cries for help.
“I made some big mistakes,” he told the reporters. “First off, I did not tell anyone where I was going or when I would be back. That meant no one knew that I was missing or where to even begin looking for me if they did.”
“The other big mistake was trying to get down to the river, where I did. I knew the ravine walls were steep, but the fishing looked so good down there that I just had to try. I hadn’t gone down more than about ten feet from the top when I knew I was in trouble, but there was no way to get back up.”
“I lost my balance and fell. I bounced off a couple of big trees and some rocks. The next thing I knew I was coming to down by the river’s edge. After a few days, I was starting to give up hope, but then I heard someone singing up top and called for help. Thank God he heard me and went for the rescue people.”
The fisherman was lucky. He got out of the mess alive, but he will carry the scars all the days of his life.
We are not all that different. The temptation of sin draws us into places we know we should not be, and suddenly we find ourselves unable (or unwilling) to turn back and plummet down until we hit bottom.
We hurt ourselves and others along the way, leaving physical, emotional, and spiritual scars in our wake. Broken marriages, ruined businesses, addictions, and other devastating consequences of our poor choices haunt us.
When we accept Christ, we are forgiven and become new creations.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Sometimes, even though we are made new, we carry the scars of the old life. We may have been forgiven the eternal consequences of our sin, but that does not give us an automatic “Get out of jail free” card for this life.
Even after we become believers, we can still fall prey to temptation and make poor choices. God will rescue us, but there may be fresh and permanent scars to remind us of our folly or to warn others against making the same mistake.
Until next time, when you hear temptation calling, walk away. The bottom can be a long way down, and the landing can be very painful.
Be blessed,
Kevin
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