Four men were blindfolded once and then taken to where an elephant was tethered. The first man was put by the elephant’s leg and told to feel it carefully and then say what it was. He carefully rubbed his hand all over the actual leg, and then pronounced, “This is without doubt a tree trunk. I can feel the bark and I’m positive it is a tree”.
The next man was taken to the elephant’s trunk and told to say what he was feeling. He carefully felt all over it, and said he was touching a snake, he was quite positive about it. It was a big one, but definitely a snake.
The third man was taken around to the rear end of the elephant and given the tail to hold. “This is a rope”, he said positively, “It’s unravelling a bit at one end, but that is what it is!”
The fourth man was put by the elephant’s rear and told to rub his hands over that area. As he ran his hand over the large flat part of rump, he said he was feeling a wall. It was high and quite large, but he was sure that was what it was. A bit rough, but definitely a wall.
Each of these men were quite sure within their own minds that what they thought they were feeling was right. The blindfolds were taken off and they saw the large elephant standing in front of them. “Where’s the tree?” the first man asked.
“I definitely felt a snake”, the second man said, “Where has it gone?”
“Well, I had a length of rope in my hand” the third man said, “I’d swear to it!”
“I was sure I was by a wall”, the fourth man said, “I can’t believe it was the elephant that I was touching!”
Each of these men were quite sure that they were right. They could hardly believe they were so wrong! Many people today are feeling for the truth with blindfolds on their minds. They say that because they think a certain thing, that that is the truth. And because they refuse to find out the real truth of the matter, they will become like those who will find themselves standing before God in a time to come and hear Him saying, “ Depart from Me, I never knew you!”
“But Lord”, they will wail, “Look at all the good things I did in my life. I’m not really as bad as a lot of other people. I was really quite good!”
Not every one that says to me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? And in Your name done many wonderful works?”
And then will I profess to them, “I never knew you: depart from me, you who work iniquity. Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
But every one that hears these sayings of Mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:21-27)
We should make sure that we KNOW without a doubt that what we believe is founded on the truth. What we THINK is not good enough….at the end of time when the blinkers are taken off our eyes, we will see that what we thought was good enough, has let us down badly and it is far too late to rectify the position. We have the chance NOW to find out the truth from the One Who said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”, and He will not let you down.
Let’s make sure that we don’t put off doing this while there is still time to do something about it!
