A little boy made a boat spending many days carving and sculpting it just the way he wanted it. After he had created his prize possession, he took the boat to the lake near his home to play with it. The wind began to blow and his little boat went out into deep water and it sunk and was lost forever. He felt sorry for his boat knowing that he would never see it again.
One day when the little boy was walking through town, he saw his boat in a store window for sale. He immediately went inside and demanded it from the owner. Of course the owner would not give him the boat unless he paid for it. So the boy went home and worked hard until he was able to save up enough money to buy his boat back. When he returned to the store and paid for his boat, he hugged it tightly and said, "My dear boat, you are mine two times - once because I made you, and once because I bought you."
That's just what God is saying to you. He created you and made you special. But the winds blew, troubled times came and you steered away from your creator. The Bible says that all have gone astray, Psalm 119:176. And, Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
You can sail with the wind, but often times it may take you to deep water and that's OK as long as you know your way back. If you don't, you will be lost and stay lost. God created you and He wants you back. You may have been doing your own thing for many years and have alienated yourself from your creator but He wants to buy you back. The only way back to your Creator is to believe that Jesus bought you back with a great price, His life. He created you and He made a way for you to return to Him.
Like the little boy, Jesus is saying, "I want you back!"
-- Pastor Albert Vacek of Valley Springs Baptist Church is a member of Carson Valley Ministers' Association and may be reached at (775)790-4563.
