3 B's

“...Your sins have withholden good things from you.” Jeremiah 5:25b

There are 3 words that start with “b”, and they are all a picture of sin.

Bee

Ouch! A bee stings! That is exactly what sin does. It stings and hurts. Sin is like a bee that leaves you with a nasty sting! When we do what’s wrong, we often hurt other people. Most often we hurt ourselves, but we definitely hurt God. Sin stings!

Bulb

If you wanted to hide a bulb so no one could find it, would you bury it in the ground? If you did that, it might stay hid for a while, but soon enough it would grow, and everyone would see it. That's exactly like sin! If you try to hide what you've done, soon enough people will find out. The Bible says in Numbers 32:23b, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Also, Proverbs 28:13 says  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy.”

I have read many stories in the newspaper of people who have tried to cover up their sin, but they got found out years after they had done it. And in the meantime, they had to live with the guilt of what they had done and the fear of someone finding out. If you've done something wrong, don't try to hide it. Own up and ask God and whoever else to forgive you. Otherwise, you'll just get found out one day. It’s definite! Sin is like a bulb. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

Bullet

A bullet kills people. Isn't that what sin does! It was because of Adam and Eve's sin that they died. It's because of our sin that we die. “The wages of sin is death...” Romans 6:23a “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:20a.

Also, a bullet can injure people for life. That's what sin does! Sometimes when we sin, it scars us for life. God will forgive us if we will repent, but we still have to live with the consequences of our sin. The story of David and Bathsheba is a good example. David suffered the rest of his life from the consequences of his sin, even though he was forgiven by God.

There is a story about a guy who was about to get shot by robbers, but somebody else jumped in front of him and got hit by the bullet instead of him. That's a picture of what Jesus did for us. He got hit by the bullet of sin, so we can live.

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5