THE WAYBACK MACHINE

THE WAYBACK MACHINE


“Hello again. Peabody here. And this, of course, is my boy, Sherman.”

“Hi! Where are we going today, Mr. Peabody?”

“Sherman, set the wayback machine for...”

...and so begins another exciting episode of Peabody's Improbable History, which was a cartoon featured on the program Rocky and Bullwinkle.

The wayback machine was a time machine that allowed Peabody and Sherman to travel back in time to make certain events come to past as history records them, but in improbable ways.

People in general, and scientists in particular, have been intrigued with the thought of time travel. It boggles the mind thinking about journeying into the future or going back in time. I've done some fascinating reading on the subject and there are some scientists who believe that it's possible. If so, like the Tower of Babel, I wonder if the Lord would intervene and not allow it to happen.

Mark, a brother in Christ and my best friend and I tell people that we are working on a time machine in our lab. (We are also working on saving summer heat and humidity for the winter and saving the cold in winter for the summer. You should see the looks that we get)! When we talk about a time machine Mark and I say how great it would be to go back in time and right our wrongs and avoid committing sins that we regret. How wonderful that would be! The Lord's heart would not have been grieved, people would not have been hurt, and we would have a clear conscience and peace of mind.

Well, there is no time machine. If one ever gets built it probably won't happen in our lifetime. And as I noted above the Lord in His divine wisdom and sovereignty probably will not let it happen.

Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth said, “What's done, is done.” Whatever transpired in our lives, it's over, it happened, it's done. We can't go back and undo the wrong. We can't go back and “uncommit” the sins we committed.

The word of encouragement that I want to share with you is we don't have to go back in time and “make things” right. The Bible says that if we confess our sins the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.

We can therefore stand in the presence of a holy God as though we never committed any sin at all! Someone said that God wipes the slate clean once we confess our sins. I don't think he even has a slate; he doesn't keep a list of the sins that we committed! That calls for some rejoicing in the Lord!

Be blessed by these passages from God's Word.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our sins from us.”
Psalm 103:12 (Good News Bible)

“...I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.” Isaiah 43:25 (Good News Bible)

“You will be merciful to us once again. You will trample our sins underfoot and send them to the bottom of the sea!” Micah 7:19 (Good News Bible)