In the year 62 A.D. two small towns in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius were severely damaged by an earthquake. For sixteen years the citizens of the two towns worked to rebuild their towns bigger and better than ever. They were still building in 79 A.D., when Vesuvius erupted and buried both towns. Of the estimated twenty thousand people living in Pompeii, at least two thousand died, and the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were totally destroyed.
Coming nearer to our time, in 1631, Vesuvius erupted again and killed four thousand people.
Closer still, in 1980 an earthquake struck Naples, in the shadow of Vesuvius, and claimed three thousand lives.
Asked about the possibility of a really gigantic upheaval in that unstable area, a great scientist answered, “We prefer to forget about the prospect!”
There were only twenty thousand in 79 A.D., but the whole area may contain two million today. Two million souls living in the shadow of total catastrophe! Of course, they “prefer to forget”-but can they?
Every tremor of the earth (one town has counted one hundred tremors in a single day), every rumble from Vesuvius, is a warning. Would you like to live “on the edge” like that?
You may stand on firm ground; you may never have experienced an earthquake nor even seen a volcano, but still you have no guarantee of safety even one hour ahead.
We read in the Bible, God’s letter to us, that “now is the accepted time...now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)). Nowhere does God say to you, “It is all right to put it off today; there will always be tomorrow!”
No, never! Never! He says instead, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:11Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1)).
Oh, please don’t say, “I prefer to forget about that prospect!”
The people who live in the “Fiery Fields” near Vesuvius may feel that they must stay there-all that they have is there. They may not think that they have any choice. But you do have a choice. Your immortal soul is in danger-was born in danger-but you may still “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:77But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)).
You have only to turn to the Lord Jesus and receive the salvation He freely offers you, and you can know that you are safe, forever safe, on the Rock that can never be moved or shaken. “Who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?” (Psa. 18:3131For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? (Psalm 18:31)).
The choice is yours!