Excerpt from
Fables of Faith

No one was in sight. The gravel dump was close by. Who would know if the sign suddenly got 'lost'?

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That Sign!

A Character story about dependability.

If you own a Bible, you possess the most amazing and unique book in the entire world! Through the centuries, people have tried to destroy the Bible, but with no success. It continues to be the world's best seller. Voltaire, a French unbeliever, predicted once that within one hundred years, the Bible would be so out of date that no one would print it any longer. One hundred years later, the building in which he made this statement was a Bible distribution center! The following is based on a true story of the power of a single verse from the Bible to change a life.

"I'm goin' out," the old farmer told his wife one afternoon.
"Where are you going, Dear?" she asked.
"Down to the gravel pit with the tractor. I need a little more gravel on this driveway to get rid of the mud." Jake climbed onto the tractor and headed down the driveway. The abandoned limestone quarry made a great source for the entire community so everyone took what gravel they needed. For Jake it was especially convenient that the gravel was not far from the house.
Jake eased onto the highway and headed south to the familiar turn. Then he saw it that sign in front of the church. He knew what it said, "Be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23)" in big, bold letters. "I won't listen to their preachin' nonsense," he told himself, "and I won't let them come talk me into any of that ignorant religion. So how come they can get away with pollutin' the roadside like this? I mean, it's one thing to put up a sign telling who you are, but it's a whole 'nother thing usin' public view to preach at folks." The more Jake thought about that sign, the more angry he got.
Just then Jake got an idea. He looked this way and that. No one was in sight. The gravel dump was close by. Who would know if the sign suddenly got 'lost'? Jake wheeled his tractor around and yanked the sign out of the ground with his scoop, post and all. Then he drove quickly down to the gravel pit. He was in luck; no one was around. Jake dumped the sign on the ground and hastily dug a hole next to it. He then scooped up the sign, dumped it into the hole, and covered it with dirt. Jake wheeled the tractor around, looked at the grave, and then smiled. "No one will ever know what happened to that sign," he boasted, feeling very proud of himself. "For the first time in a long time we can ride down that road without getting preached it." Then Jake scooped up his load of gravel and headed for home.
The old farmer carefully spread the gravel on his driveway, then grated it smooth. His wife noticed he seemed a little happier than normal, but she didn't bother asking why. Shortly before dusk, Jake decided he would need a little more gravel so he drove off one last time toward the pit. As he approached the church, he slammed on the brake and yanked off his hat. He couldn't believe his eyes. There was that Bible sign in the same spot, looking brighter and clearer than over! How could this be? Jake read the sign again. "Be sure your sin will find you out." The words struck him. He realized that was exactly what had happened. Jake was so dumbfounded that he wheeled around and headed for home. The next Sunday Jake was with his wife in church and, a few weeks later, he accepted Christ as his Saviour.

Some months later, Jake asked the pastor if he could give a testimony at one of the services. He told then for the first time his devious plan to bury the sign and how its miraculous appearance, and the message on the sign, turned his heart to God.
When he finished, George stood up and shared this story. Shortly after Jake had buried the sign, George came to the gravel pit to get a load of gravel for himself. As he drove in, he noticed what looked like fresh digging wet rocks but no hole. George scooped up a load of gravel from that spot but suddenly struck something. Jumping off his tractor, George brushed away the gravel only to discover the sign from the front yard of his church. "I wonder how our sign got out here," he asked himself. "Oh, well, It's about time to refresh it a little anyway. The colors are fading and the paint is starting the peel." So George lifted the sign from the gravel, drove it to the church yard, and planted it back in the same spot. Then he carefully wiped off the sign, got some paints, and repainted the lettering and the border. Jake and George laughed for joy, for they knew that this was God's way of getting his attention and making him listen to what the Scripture had to say.