Bright streaks of lightning slashed across the sky and thunder crashed loudly. The two men in the little rowboat could not hear each other even when they shouted. Torrents of rain soaked their clothing and nearly blinded them. Waves more than 20 feet high threatened to swamp their small boat and sink it.
Several days earlier, on June 4, 1966, these two men, John Ridgway and Chay Blyth, had started out from Orleans, Massachusetts, to row their small boat, English Rose III, across the Atlantic Ocean to England. Now the storm was threatening to end their plans in disaster.
Finally the storm died down, and then fog rolled in. As they rowed wearily on through the fog, a small yellow bird suddenly appeared out of the fog, flying strangely and looking very tired. Chay whistled to it, and John held out scraps of food to try to encourage the little bird to land on their boat where it could rest and be safe. Although it hovered over their boat for a few moments, it turned its back on the refuge they offered and struggled on alone in the fog.
Are you as foolish as this little bird? Perhaps you realize you are a sinner and know you cannot get rid of your sins by yourself. Still you struggle and work hard. You try to make yourself good enough for God, instead of letting go and accepting the salvation God offers you through the death and shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. The bird was offered a free refuge in the boat, and God offers you a free refuge also. “In God is my salvation . . . and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:77In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. (Psalm 62:7)). The Bible says about the Lord Jesus Christ that “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)).
As the little bird flew away from the only place of safety, the two men were sad. Chay later wrote in his diary: “It upset us both to think that the bird would probably be dead within a few minutes.”
Won’t you be wiser than the little bird? Accept God’s offer today. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
ML-09/01/1996