REUBEN:The Rooster With a Reminder
Stories
ABNER THE CLUMSY OX
and OTHER BIBLE STORIES
How many boys and girls know what I mean when I talk about reminders? Can anyone think of something which we might call a reminder? (Let the children give you some things which they think of as reminders.) That's pretty good. When I think of a reminder I can't help but think of a string that my mother used to tie around my finger so that I would not forget about the time that I was supposed to be home or the job that she wanted me to do. That was one kind of reminder but there are a lot of others. For instance whenever I leave the dentist's office there is a nice lady in a white uniform who gives me a little card with the time written on it for my next appointment. It says "Don't forget to come back and see us next Tuesday at 10:15 a.m." How about the reminder the fireman gets when there is a fire. BONG!!! BONG!!! BONG!!! The big bell in the fire house goes off whenever there is a fire.
Today, though, I would like to tell you the story about a friend who was a reminder, a real reminder. It is the story about one of our animal friends. This one is about Rueben. Now Rueben was a rooster, a beautiful rooster and he had one of the best cockle-doo-dle-doos that you have ever heard. I mean this was no ordinary rooster but a rooster with one of the most powerful voices in the rooster kingdom. Well, Rueben used to wonder why God had given him such a powerful voice. Most roosters could wake up the people in their own yards or houses but Rueben seemed to be able to let people know all the way across town that he was alive and kicking.
One day Rueben was lounging around the chicken house without too much to do and not having anywhere to go. Little did Rueben know how important he was going to be later on. On the other side of town Jesus had been arrested the night before and had gone through a whole series of awful experiences. One of his most loyal followers was a man named Peter who told Jesus the night before at a very special dinner that he would stick by him no matter what happened. Jesus told Peter that it was a nice thought but that he would pretend not to know him three times before the rooster crowed. Well, as you know the soldiers came and arrested Jesus and took him away. At first Peter put up quite a fight, so good as a matter of fact that he actually cut off one of the soldiers ears. Jesus told him that this was not the way that Christians did things, and he healed the man who had lost his ear. Then Peter followed the soldiers and Jesus, but he stayed a long way back so that no one could see him. While Peter was standing by a fire trying to keep warm, a woman came up to Peter and asked if he was not a friend of Jesus. "No," Peter said, "I have never known him." Two more times people asked Peter if he did not know Jesus and if he was not a follower. Each time Peter told them that he did not know Jesus. When he said it the third time there was a very quiet moment and just as Jesus said it would happen, from far across town came the strong voice of the rooster, Rueben. "Cockle-doodle-doo" said Rueben, and Peter put his hands to his face and covered his eyes in shame. "I have denied the Lord Jesus three times just as He said I would." Rueben had been a reminder of what Jesus had said.
I don't know if Rueben ever knew what he did with his voice and his loud cockle-doodle-doo, but it was good. Rueben was such a good reminder that Peter not only bowed his head in shame and sorrow but he also asked God's forgiveness. That's right, Peter heard the reminder and he went and prayed and asked God to give him another chance. As you know Peter went on to be one of the very great Christian leaders. Many times he told how God gave him another chance with the reminder from Rueben.
That's the way it can be with you, boys and girls. You will do wrong things and all of a sudden you will see or hear something that will be a reminder of the wrong thing which you have done. For Peter it was a rooster but for you it might be a Bible verse or one of the commandments or
even a string tied around your finger.
Rueben was a reminder and the next time you see a rooster, perhaps you will remember what happened the day that Peter tried to forget all about Jesus and think only of himself. Rueben woke up Peter and made him feel sorry and ask God for His forgiveness.
Today, though, I would like to tell you the story about a friend who was a reminder, a real reminder. It is the story about one of our animal friends. This one is about Rueben. Now Rueben was a rooster, a beautiful rooster and he had one of the best cockle-doo-dle-doos that you have ever heard. I mean this was no ordinary rooster but a rooster with one of the most powerful voices in the rooster kingdom. Well, Rueben used to wonder why God had given him such a powerful voice. Most roosters could wake up the people in their own yards or houses but Rueben seemed to be able to let people know all the way across town that he was alive and kicking.
One day Rueben was lounging around the chicken house without too much to do and not having anywhere to go. Little did Rueben know how important he was going to be later on. On the other side of town Jesus had been arrested the night before and had gone through a whole series of awful experiences. One of his most loyal followers was a man named Peter who told Jesus the night before at a very special dinner that he would stick by him no matter what happened. Jesus told Peter that it was a nice thought but that he would pretend not to know him three times before the rooster crowed. Well, as you know the soldiers came and arrested Jesus and took him away. At first Peter put up quite a fight, so good as a matter of fact that he actually cut off one of the soldiers ears. Jesus told him that this was not the way that Christians did things, and he healed the man who had lost his ear. Then Peter followed the soldiers and Jesus, but he stayed a long way back so that no one could see him. While Peter was standing by a fire trying to keep warm, a woman came up to Peter and asked if he was not a friend of Jesus. "No," Peter said, "I have never known him." Two more times people asked Peter if he did not know Jesus and if he was not a follower. Each time Peter told them that he did not know Jesus. When he said it the third time there was a very quiet moment and just as Jesus said it would happen, from far across town came the strong voice of the rooster, Rueben. "Cockle-doodle-doo" said Rueben, and Peter put his hands to his face and covered his eyes in shame. "I have denied the Lord Jesus three times just as He said I would." Rueben had been a reminder of what Jesus had said.
I don't know if Rueben ever knew what he did with his voice and his loud cockle-doodle-doo, but it was good. Rueben was such a good reminder that Peter not only bowed his head in shame and sorrow but he also asked God's forgiveness. That's right, Peter heard the reminder and he went and prayed and asked God to give him another chance. As you know Peter went on to be one of the very great Christian leaders. Many times he told how God gave him another chance with the reminder from Rueben.
That's the way it can be with you, boys and girls. You will do wrong things and all of a sudden you will see or hear something that will be a reminder of the wrong thing which you have done. For Peter it was a rooster but for you it might be a Bible verse or one of the commandments or
even a string tied around your finger.
Rueben was a reminder and the next time you see a rooster, perhaps you will remember what happened the day that Peter tried to forget all about Jesus and think only of himself. Rueben woke up Peter and made him feel sorry and ask God for His forgiveness.
