After a concert Peter Stumf, the principle cellist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, went to a friends house. He inadvertently left his cello in its case on the doorstep while he entered to have a chat with the friend. A young man riding his bike down the city street saw an opportunity for an easy theft. He grabbed the case and rapidly pedaled down the street. In his hurry to escape he knocked into pedestrians and light poles with the cumbersome case. The thief rode what he judged a safe distance away. He stopped to examine the contents of the case. He was so disappointed with what he found that he tossed it into a garbage dumpster.

Little did the thief know that the cello was a rare Stradivarius valued at over 3.5 million dollars.

When Peter Stumf discovered his cello missing his heart sunk. He couldnt believe he had been so careless as to lose the irreplaceable instrument. He had no idea that the nearly priceless cello was lying in a trash dumpster with discarded table scraps and other refuse.

That cello was extremely valuable but you have something far more valuable in your possession, you have a soul, and like the Stradivarius, your soul can be lost. The Lord Jesus said, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mk.8:36)

A soul is lost in this life when it seeks to find its pleasure in the trash heaps of lust, sin, pride and moral corruption that so abound in this world. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way. (Isa.53:6) There isnt a person alive who hasnt visited those trash heaps and contracted the defilement of sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Ro.3:23) Because we all have sinned, each one of us needs the Savior. The only way to be cleansed from sin is to believe on the Lord Jesus and the great work he did on Calvarys cross. It was there that he gave his life for sinners. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Ro.5:6) The blood which flowed from his wounds while he hung on the cross is able to cleanse the vilest sinner if they only will look to him in faith.