The Buzzing Stopped

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    1. It is a TEST to see if this process is working and
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TITLE: The Buzzing Stopped
DATE: October 17, 2018
TEXT 1 John 1:9 (ESV) -9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Almost is a sad word. It means things never quite worked out the way a person hoped.

For example, take the case of John Wilson. John Wilson wanted to have a good time, and that meant a bit of drinking. Unfortunately, John didn’t have the wherewithal to buy his liquor. “Do not worry”, said his friend. “Stop at the liquor store in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and I wall take care of the rest.” And so it was that John Wilson became the driver of a getaway car holding some stolen spirits. The high-speed chase which followed left the two with the realization they weren’t going to escape…at least not in a car. Having considered the options, John and his friend-in-crime bailed out of the car and made their way into the fields and woods.

It seemed like a good plan…at first.
    1. The police went in after the pair, but the police had no success.
    2. The police sent in a dog after the culprits, but the dog couldn’t find them.
    3. The police sent up a drone above them, but the drone couldn’t spot the pair.

Those following the case, including the police, were convinced the two had escaped successfully. That’s just about the time John turned himself in. The police report John’s escape was brought to an end by….do you want to try and guess…no, you’ll never get it right… not in 100 years.
John turned himself in because of the swarming mosquitoes
The officer who did the arrest said “When we handcuffed him he asked us to wipe his forehead because he had 15-20 mosquitoes on his forehead at that time."

Now you and I know the buzz of a single mosquito in a bedroom can rob a person of a good night’s sleep. We know how that drone can distract us when we’re outside. We all can remember the itch which comes after a successful bite.  But John had been surrounded by thousands of the beasties. Their drone had sounded like a monster truck rally and the bites…. John was bitten in every conceivable part of his anatomy… sometimes more than once. It was too much. John had no choice. He had to give himself up.

I don’t know if John’s predicament seems familiar to you. It certainly does to me.

There have been times when I have sinned and thought I had been pretty successful in doing so. After all nobody caught me, nobody saw me, nobody accused me. I had made a good getaway… or so it seemed.

But then, quite unexpectedly I felt a small pin prick of conscience. Something was reminding me I had done wrong. “No matter, I can live with that” I thought to myself. But that pin prick was soon joined by others. Again and again I felt my conscience pointing out my errors. Soon the little buzz had become a roar. My conscience wouldn’t let up.  I ended up doing the only thing I could do. I turned myself in. I did just as 1 John says I should. I confessed my sin and the Lord forgave.” Because of what the Savior had done upon the cross, my sin was erased. The buzzing of my sentience stopped. Permanently.

And there is no “almost” to that.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may remember that my peace was won at the cross. May I leave my sins there, and rejoice in the peace which comes from Jesus’ death and resurrection. In His Name. Amen.

The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by the editor of Newser on September 24, 2018. Those who wish to reference those articles may do so at the following links, which were fully functional at the time this devotion was written http://www.newser.com/story/265041/mosquitoes-help-cops-subdue-fleeing-suspect.html.
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago  confirmands. It is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html