A Debt We Can Never Repay

The woman jumped out of her car and began to apologize. "I am so sorry. I didn't see the bicycle. I will gladly pay for a new one."

What a relief! John's worries were over—except for having to tell his father. John didn't want to tell his father what had happened, but he knew he would find out anyway. When he told his father what had happened he forgot to mention that he had left the bike in the driveway. He just said that the woman had run over the bicycle and she was going to buy his friend a new one. When his dad asked him where the biclycle was when the lady ran over it, he confessed that he had left it in the driveway. "No way is she going to buy a new bike" John's father said. "She didn't do anything wrong. You are the one who left the bicycle in the driveway, so you are the one who is responsible."

John's heart sank. He didn't have the money to pay for the bicycle. He only had a couple of dollars in his piggy bank.

John's father looked at him and said, "Son, we all make mistakes. I know you are sorry for what you have done and that you don't have the money to buy your friend a new bicycle. I will pay for the bicycle."

John ran to his daddy, put his arms around his neck, and with tears running down his cheeks, he whispered in his daddy's ear, "Thank you, daddy. I love you!"

That is a good picture of what our Heavenly Father has done for us. We all make mistakes—it is always a mistake to disobey God's Word. The Bible calls that sin, but the Bible tells us that our Father loved us so much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross to pay for our sin. There is no way that we could ever repay him for what he has done for us. All we can do is say, "Thank you" and try to show him how much we love him.

That is what today's Bible lesson teaches us. (Read Luke 7:41-47)

How often do you tell your heavenly Father that you love him? How do you show it?

Dear Father, we love you and we just want to say, "Thank you." You paid a debt we can never repay. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.