Lessons from a Thermal Park

During our last holiday we visited a thermal park. The park is full of danger—big pits and boiling mud. I couldn't help noticing all the warnings posted around the park.    Some places were fenced well, but some places only had very little fences or no fence at all. We walked on a path right through the middle of a lake.  It was up to us to listen to the warnings and stick to the safe path. If we hadn't obeyed the warnings, we would have gotten very burnt.

As we walked through the park I couldn't help but think of how similar it is to life. Living life is like walking through a thermal park. The boiling mud represents sin.
Sin is dangerous! Sin burns! Sin hurts! Sin gives scars for life! Sin brings death! Sin brings eternal punishment in hell.

But thankfully, there are also warnings. God has given us the Bible which is full of warnings. We not only have the Bible, we have parents, church, a pastor,and people who have scars already that we can learn from.
Do you have parents who warn you about sin? About making wrong choices? About what friends you should have? About how should dress? Do you have parents who have rules? If you do, you should be so thankful! They are wise and they care about you. They don't want you to get burnt. When I was a teenager I didn't always appreciate my parent's warnings and the fences they built to keep me safe. I didn't see the dangers that they saw. But now that I am older and can see the reasons behind their rules, I am so thankful! My life could have been so ruined if they hadn't made the rules that they did. And my life could have been scarred if I had ignored the warnings and gone off the right path.
Even though your parents may give you lots of warnings and have rules to keep you safe, there will be plenty of times that you will  have to make your own choices. The older you get--the less fences. It's up to you to listen to the warnings you are given and take them seriously.
 Listen to those who have already been burnt by sin--People who have gone off the right path and are full of regrets.
There are also those who have stayed on the right path but have seen others get burnt. Listen to the warnings they give you.
 Stay on the safe path—listening and obeying God.
When you read the Bible, look out for the warnings. Here are a few that I've found but there are many more. What are the warnings in these verses? How do they apply to your life?

1Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. A warning about friends. They rub off on us. We need to choose good friends.

2Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? A warning about who we should marry. Marrying a nonChristian won't work.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. A warning about pride. If you are proud, you will be embarrassed.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. A warning about our actions. Our actions have consequences. We can either sow good seeds or bad seeds (good or bad actions). But whatever we sow is what we will reap.

Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. A warning about holding on to what we want in life. When we give our life to God and give up what we want, then God gives us His very best.

Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Another warning about friends or the people we hang around. If we want to turn out well, we must choose good people to be around.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

A warning about  trying to hide our sin. If we don't face up to the fact that what we are doing is wrong and confess it, we won't be forgiven and we won't be helped.

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. A warning about laziness. If you want to do well in school or work, you must work hard at it.

 

Listen to God's Warnings!