The young man had found a sweet spot in the river. This was a spot where the fish were large and easy to catch. But, it was not easy to get to the sweet spot. To get there he had to wade out into the river, go down the river for a ways and then cross to the other side. However, the young man loved catching fish. So everyday after work, he would rush home and hurry to this sweet spot for an evening of fishing.

Everyday when he waded into the river, he had his hands full. You see he always carried a folding chair, an ice chest, a tackle box and his fishing rod. Carrying this stuff was no problem because the river is shallow and easy to wade. But sometimes the river current washed away sand and caused deep holes in random places. One day as he waded across the river, he stepped into one of these holes and almost drowned.

It should have been no problem for him to swim to safety. But the stuff he carried in his hands pulled him down. It almost cost him his life. The next day as he told this story, you could tell he was shaken by how close he had come to death. I asked him “Why didn’t you just turn loose of your stuff and swim to safety.” His answer was “ I didn’t want to lose my stuff.” He almost died for the sake of a handful of stuff.

The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This means it is within reach and it is available to all who wish to live in it. All we have to do is reach out and take the hand of Jesus who is reaching out to us. However, most people will never receive salvation. Why? Because they have filled their arms and hands with things of this world. To reach for Jesus would mean to turn loose of their stuff.

Things of earth will rot and rust, but Jesus will rule and reign forever. Drop those things of the world, reach for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take the hand of Jesus and be saved or cling to this world, sink into the pit of hell and be lost forever.

What profit is there for a man who gains the whole world if he loses his soul?

Douglas & Deborah Huff

From Down Where The Pavement Ends