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The children were counting the money in their piggy banks. "Five dollars and fifty-six cents!" Randy cried. "We have lots of money, Debbie. Let's take some and buy candy on the way home tomorrow."

"We can't," Debbie said. "Mom told us to always come straight home from school. Remember?"

"She wouldn't know," said Randy. "We could come down that street past the corner store. It would only take a little bit longer—just a teeny, little bit."

"All right," Debbie agreed, putting some coins in the pocket of her school coat.

The next day Randy and Debbie hurried from school to the little store on the corner. There were jars and jars of candy to choose from. At last Randy bought some black licorice. Debbie bought some pink candy hearts. Then they ran home quickly.

"You are late, children," Mother said, glancing at the clock. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing much," Randy answered, not looking at Mother. "We ran and ran. Didn't we, Debbie?"

When Debbie nodded, Mother turned and went back to her work.

After supper the children ran outside. Sitting down behind the garage, they ate their candy. Just then Father called, "Come on, children. We are going for a drive." Debbie and Randy raced to the car and climbed in the back.

"Oh, Randy!" Mother exclaimed. "Your mouth is all black. What have you been eating?"

"Some licorice," Randy muttered.

"Licorice?" Mother said in surprise. "Where did you get it?"

Randy looked out the window. "A--a--boy at school gave it to me," he said.

Mother gave Randy a Kleenex to wipe his mouth.

"You know I don't like for you to eat candy between meals," she scolded.

Debbie poked Randy and whispered, "You told two lies today."

"Be quiet," he said, giving Debbie a slap.

"Children!" Father called. "Please stop quarreling and let us sing something."

Randy pressed his nose against the window. "I don't want to sing today, Dad," he said.

Debbie started to sing, then she stopped. "I don't want to sing, either," she said.

Mother and Father looked at each other. Then Father turned the car into a side road and stopped. "I think we need to have a little talk," he said. "Do you children have something you should tell us?"

Randy hung his head. "I--I--told two lies today. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Tell us all about it," said Father kindly.

When the children had told everything, Debbie said, "I'm sorry I disobeyed and went to the store. But I didn't tell a lie, Mom."

"There are different ways of lying," Mother said, looking sad. "Randy spoke the words. But instead of telling the truth, Debbie, you were quiet. So you acted a lie. It is just as wrong to act a lie as to tell one."

"Oh," Debbie said, tears coming into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom. Please forgive me."

"I just told a little lie at first," Randy said unhappily. "But the next one got bigger."

"You remind me of the story of Jacob in the Bible," Father said. "Jacob wanted the blessing that belonged to his brother Esau. So Jacob planned to deceive his blind father and get the blessing. Jacob took the dish of meat that his mother had cooked and gave it to his father. When his father asked, 'Who are you, my son?' Jacob lied and said, 'I am Esau.'

"'How did you get the meat so quickly?' his father asked. This time Jacob told a dreadful lie. He said that God had helped him get the meat. Once again his father asked him if he really was his son Esau. And Jacob said, 'I am.' You see, when we plan to deceive someone by acting a lie, we usually end by telling another lie to cover up the first one. And it keeps growing and growing."

"Is it Satan that makes us tell a lie?" Randy asked.

"Not exactly," said Father. "Satan is a liar and he tempts us to lie, but he cannot make us lie. We can choose to lie or we can choose to tell the truth. When we choose to lie, that makes God very sad because He hates everything that is dishonest like lying and cheating and stealing."

"Is lying as bad as stealing?" Debbie wanted to know.

"Yes, it is," Father told them. "They are both very bad. The Bible says, 'Lie not one to another.' In another verse God tells us that He hates lying lips, but those who tell the truth are His delight."

"Dad," Randy said, "I want to tell God I am sorry right now."

"Me, too," Debbie said.

When the children had prayed, Father said, "Randy and Debbie, God has forgiven you. But remember, always tell the truth, even if it means you will be punished when you have done something wrong."

Randy and Debbie nodded. Then Debbie asked, "Are you going to punish us?"

"Yes," Father answered. "You will not get any allowance for three weeks. And there is to be no fussing about it either."

"We won't fuss," the children promised.

As Father started the car, Mother said, "I have thought of a good verse for us to learn today. It is Psalm 119:30— 'I have chosen the way of truth.'"

They learned the verse quickly. Then Randy said, "I want to sing now, Dad."

"I do, too," Debbie cried.

AND THEY DID.

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My thumb tells me that I have sinned because I have turned away from God.

My next finger points up to God and reminds me that God loves me.

Now close your thumb and little finger together as they are in the picture. This leaves three fingers pointing up.

These three fingers remind us of three crosses that stood on a hill. The two men on the outside crosses were thieves. These men had been very bad. They were being put to death for their sins.

Who hung on the middle cross? The Lord Jesus. Jesus was God's Son and He had never done anything wrong in His whole life. He had never sinned.

You may ask, "Then why did He have to die?" He died for OUR sins. He loved us so much that He died for us. He died for my sins. He died for your sins. The Bible says, "Christ died for our sins." (I Corinthians 15:3)

Now point to your middle finger and say: "Number 3. JESUS DIED FOR ME."

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