The Overdue Book
THE OVERDUE BOOK
Read 1 Peter 1:17-21.
As Christie cleaned out her closet, she found a library book in the corner. “Oh no!” she groaned. “I’ll never be able to pay the fine on this book. Mom and Dad will be mad, too.”
Christie hid the book under the pillow, but she kept worrying about it. Finally she told her parents about the problem. “I’m sorry I forgot to take it back,” she said. “Now I don’t want to go to the library until I’ve saved enough to pay the fine. But every day I wait, the fine gets bigger. What can I do?”
“Oh!” exclaimed her mother. “I forgot to tell you. When I was at the library last month, the librarian asked me about that book. It was already so long overdue that it was cheaper to buy it than to pay the fine, so that’s what I did.”
Christie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Mom. Here I’ve been feeling guilty and worried, and all the time the book was paid for!”
“What happened to you is similar to what happens to many people,” said Dad. “People often feel guilty for years about things they’ve done wrong. Just as you were afraid to go back to the library, people avoid talking to God, thinking they must first ‘clean up’ their lives. But they can’t do it. They just keep on sinning more. They don’t realize that Jesus paid the price on the cross for all their sins, and all they have to do for it to take effect is accept His gift.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you feel guilty about things you have done? Jesus already paid the price for all your sins. Confess them to Him and accept Him as your Savior. Then thank Him for purchasing your forgiveness. Don’t feel guilty anymore—feel glad for what God did for you.
TO MEMORIZE:
God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:20
JESUS PAID YOUR DEBT.
From the book
