It was a beautiful night. A cold, biting wind rushed past our faces. Even with goggles on, we felt the cold. The moon broke through the cloud cover and bathed the snowscape with bright moonlight. I held on tightly to Bill as we roared across Phantom Lake. His brand new snowmobile seemed to be flying, we were going so fast.
Phantom Lake was lovely in moonlight. Its light blanket of bite snow was broken only by scattered patches of blue-black ice. I wondered about those ice patches.
Why was it that most of this late-winter ice was covered with several inches of snow, but a few patches were bare? The thought quickly passed. The recent cold snap surely had thickened the ice after the warmer weather. Besides, there were other snowmobile tracks crossing these snowless patches. Obviously there was no problem.
Bill had just traded his old snowmobile in for this new one. He had asked me to go with him to try it out. He was an experienced snowmobiler, but it was my first ride on one. I had always preferred the warmth of the house to a cold ride on a snowmobile.
“Would you like to drive?” Bill asked.
“I’d love to,” I answered, “but I’m a rookie at this, and your snowmobile is barely off the showroom floor.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he answered, “it’s easy.” He gave me some instructions on the basics of driving.
Operating a snowmobile couldn’t be easier, I discovered. The surge of power as I squeezed the throttle was both a shock and a delight. We skimmed along a well-worn trail in the middle of the lake, flashing past a cluster of empty ice-fishing shanties.
Far in the distance we saw the lights of the only other snowmobile leave the lake and head inland. The lake was ours, to explore and do with as we wanted. We were alone in a wintry wonderland.
There are many people today who have this same attitude about their life —it’s theirs, to do with as they want. The Bible tells us something about these people in Proverbs 12:1515The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. (Proverbs 12:15): “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” And in Proverbs 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12) God says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you are on that way which ends in death and punishment in hell that will never end. Any other way you may try, hoping to reach heaven eventually, will have this same final result — hell. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6).
The Lord Jesus has opened the way into heaven through His death on the cross. All who accept His shed blood as the remedy for their sins have the way opened to them for an everlasting life with God in heaven. Accepting His way is the only way; your own way will not get you there.
For ten minutes Bill and I raced up and down Phantom Lake. “I’m getting cold,” I hollered back to him. “Let’s head back home.” I slowed down and began an easy U-turn. The snowmobile left the snowy track and edged onto a dark, bare patch of ice as I made the loop.
We had almost completed the turn when I heard a peculiar sound, almost like ice cracking. I thought it must be my imagination.
But it wasn’t! Both Bill and I sensed it at the same time. The snowmobile had broken through the ice. This had to be a bad dream! No way could this be happening to us!
But there we were, still on the seat with the snowmobile sinking slowly, nose first into the icy cold water. The black ice on the bare spot, we discovered too late, meant a weak point where the ice was only an inch or two thick. The warm weather together with a natural spring feeding into the lake at that point kept thick ice from forming.
We climbed off the sinking, bubbling snowmobile and started to tread water. The shock of the freezing water was stunning. We gasped for breath and struggled in the water. This was more than a mild inconvenience. We had a problem!
As sinners, God has to bring us to a realization that we have a problem. Sin is often like an undetected disease. Until a doctor tells us that we have the disease and we believe what he says, we will not get the treatment that is required.
We each must accept God’s verdict concerning our sins. He says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23). Then in John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) we find His cure for our sin: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” Jesus Christ is the answer for your sin problem. Won’t you accept Him right now?
I reached over to try to stop the snowmobile from sinking further, but quickly realized my foolishness. It was much too heavy. Seconds later we lost sight of the $3,000 machine as it settled to the bottom of the lake.
I knew Phantom Lake was a shallow fishing lake. But at that point it did not matter whether we were in 6 or 60 feet of water. Our feet were not touching bottom, and we had to keep from slipping under the ice. If we did, we might not find the open spot again.
I knew that we would only last about five minutes in that icy water. I tried to lunge up on the edge of the ice. But the ice wanted no part of my 185 pounds. It broke off, plunging me back into the freezing water.
Struggling against the weight of my now-soggy snowmobile clothing, I swam with difficulty to the far side of the hole. The ice there was snow-covered which meant it was thicker. Still, there was nothing to grab hold of to pull myself out. I got an elbow out over the edge, but I could not swing my leg out because of the waterlogged clothes.
Suddenly I felt a boost and I was up on the ice fast. Although weighing only 120 pounds, Bill was very strong. He had gone under water behind me until his feet touched bottom. Then pushing off with his legs from the bottom, he lifted me right up onto the ice. Without that push I could not have made it.
Lying down on the edge to spread my weight over a large area to keep from breaking through again, I reached for Bill. Gradually I worked backward, pulling him out onto strong ice.
What a relief it was when we were both out. It seemed like an eternity, but we were in the water probably no more than two or three minutes.
We walked the 100 yards to shore and then on to Bill’s house. Within minutes of reaching it we were wrapped in blankets and preparing for a steaming hot bath. We had survived!
These two men survived this experience by their own strength, ability and quick thinking. But strength, ability or quick thinking is not the solution to your sin problem. Christ and His work on the cross is the only answer for this problem, and the solution has been completed. Won’t you accept it now and be saved?
ML-03/26/1989