John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard
was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people
were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying
to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you
wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep
tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and
down the alley and it's awful cold in there, at night. Sure would be nice to have
a warm place to stay."
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said,
"You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door.
When they come out the door you just say "John 3:16" and they will
let you in."
So he did, he walked up the steps to the door, and
knocked on the door and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John
3:16."
The lady said "Come on in, Son."
She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom
rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off. He sat there for
a while, and thought to himself "John 3:16.... I don't understand it, but
it sure makes a cold boy warm."
Later she came back and asked him "Are you
hungry?"
He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a
couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food."
The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a
table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more.
Then he thought to himself "John 3:16... Boy, I
don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full."
She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub
filled with warm water and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked,
he thought to himself, "John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it
sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my
whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big, old
fire hydrant as they flushed it out."
The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and
tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck
and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness
and looked out of the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he
thought to himself, "John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes
a tired boy rested."
The next morning she came back up and took him down again
to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that
same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and she took a big,
old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at him and she asked,
"Do you understand John 3:16?"
He said, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever
heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it."
She opened the Bible to John 3:16 , and she began to
explain to him about Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he
gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, "John 3:16. I
don't understand it, but it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."
You know sometimes I don't understand it either... how
God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree
to do such a thing. I don't understand it either... but it sure does make life
worth living.
Dear Lord, we thank You that You were willing to die on
the cross for each of us. Help us to share that with those we come into contact
with today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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