I used to drive an old Mercedes Benz. In fact, I had found it in a junk yard, and I had fixed it up because I didn’t have enough money to buy a nice car ready to run.
Christmas came, and the children (grown by now) were home from college for the holidays. When Christmas morning came, there were presents for everyone.
Margie was a student in a Christian college, and she didn’t have much money herself. But she had placed a little note for me about my Christmas present. It read like this: “Dear Daddy: Merry Christmas! The present I am giving you this Christmas is a brand new Mercedes Benz. I hope you like it, Love, Margie.”
Well, I was surprised. A brand new Mercedes Benz for Christmas! I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Margie, you shouldn’t tease your poor father like this; you know I would love to have a brand new Mercedes Benz, but this can’t be true, because you can’t afford to buy me a new Mercedes Benz!”
“But Daddy, it’s true! I have bought you a brand new Mercedes Benz sedan. It’s blue, metallic blue.”
“Well, okay; but where is it?”
“It’s outside parked in the driveway side by side next to your old Mercedes Benz.” So outside I went. And sure enough—she was telling me the truth. There on the concrete driveway stood a brand new Mercedes Benz, and it was parked next to my old one.
But it was only about ten inches long. It was a cute toy; and I still have it parked in my office bookcase.
Margie and I were just having a little fun on Christmas morning. And she would never really deceive me, because she loves me.
But there is someone who would love to deceive you by promising you something as wonderful as a real brand new Mercedes Benz, but would end up giving you a miserable little counterfeit of what you really want, something that you would be sorry to have to keep forever.
One of the counterfeits that the Enemy wants to push on us is “love.” There is a genuine, true love which is a precious gift from Jesus. But there is a counterfeit that is just a toy, and it is useless so far as any real happiness is concerned. It ends up making you unhappy.
Jesus has told us, “Watch out, don’t be fooled” (Luke 21:8). “False Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God’s chosen people, if possible” (Matthew 24:24). One of those deceptions is false love. Children can be smart enough not to allow themselves to be deceived.
Jesus has promised to give you what He calls “eyesalve” for anointing your eyes, so you can see and not be deceived. You know, it’s not literal medicine like you get in a bottle; it’s the knowledge of what’s right and what’s wrong, which will make you like Jesus was when He was a boy. The Bible says He knew, even when very young, how “to refuse the evil, and choose the good” (Isaiah 7:14, 15, KJV). And He will make you wise as He was!
As you grow older and become a teen, you will hear this word “love” spoken sometimes. Don’t ever say it if it’s not true, and don’t deceive others or be deceived about “love.” If “it’s a precious gift which we receive from Jesus,” it’s nothing to joke about or for us to play with counterfeits.
Aren’t you glad that our Savior teaches us never to be deceived?