A helicopter took off from the deck of a tuna fishing boat in the mid-Pacific — more than 1000 miles from land. The helicopter pilot was scouting for large schools of tuna. These fish can be spotted from airplanes or helicopters. He was flying in clear blue skies over the blue Pacific when he spotted a catamaran sailing vessel floating on the waves beneath him.
The catamaran with its double hulls looked untidy and weather-beaten. There were no sails up, and the boom which should have extended out from the mast to hold the sail in place was missing. Flying lower over the stricken boat he saw an older, shirtless man with long white flowing hair and beard wave back to him. The man was deeply tanned from heavy exposure to the sun. The pilot took in all these clues and radioed back to his ship that he had spotted a vessel in distress.
In a short while the tuna boat came to investigate. When they got close, they lowered a smaller boat with an outboard motor over its side. This boat pulled up to the catamaran.
“Ahoy there,” said a man from the motor boat. “Do you need help?”
“Yes, yes I do,” replied the old man on the sailboat. “We got hit by a storm and we have been adrift at sea for three months.”
When he said “we,” he was referring to himself and his dog. He had found the dog wandering on the beach in Mexico and decided to take it with him for company on his journey across the Pacific.
RESCUED FROM DISASTER AT SEA
After a little consultation, it was decided to take the old man and his dog back to the tuna boat and just let the sailboat go adrift on the ocean where it would eventually sink beneath the waves.
It turned out that a severe storm had destroyed the sailboat’s electronics and navigation system and carried away its sails. The old man onboard and his dog named Bella had survived by eating raw fish and catching rainwater. Without sails, living on the boat adrift at sea had been a little like living as a castaway on a deserted island.
The old man, whose name was Tim Shaddock, said he had been sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia. French Polynesia is a group of small islands located midway between Peru and Australia. Not many ships sail in this part of the vast ocean, making a helicopter spotting Tim and his dog all the more remarkable.
While on the tuna fishing boat, a photo was taken of Tim Shaddock. He looked extremely thin, all skin and bones. His hair and beard, which had not been cut for a long time, were unkempt, white and flowing. He had a smile on his face which showed how happy he was about being rescued. His eyes were bright blue and had a twinkle in them.
ANOTHER RESCUE
Tim Shaddock was rescued from a disaster at sea. Do you know each one of us needs rescuing too? From on high, God looks down on the earth and is searching for lost sinners. He is looking for those who know they have gone wrong and are looking for help.
Sinners are like those who have gone adrift on the sea of life, and they are in danger of sinking forever beneath the waves. We are all sinners. We are all in danger of being lost forever. In order to rescue us, God sent His Son into the world.
This verse doesn’t say God sent His Son so we might feel better. It says He sent His Son because we were perishing. Perishing means it was just a matter of time before we would die and be without Christ forever. The Lord Jesus came and gave His life so we wouldn’t have to perish. Through His death and suffering, those who deserved death and hell because of their sins may now be forgiven, cleansed, and suitable for heaven.
Before this short life is over, will you trust and receive the Savior?
Tim Shaddock with his long hair and beard had his photo taken in front of a large old-fashioned clock after he was rescued. It was really appropriate to take that photo in front of the clock because he was running out of time when rescued.
He was out of food and water, and perhaps the next squall at sea would have sunk his boat. No one would have even known about it.
All of us are running out of time. Each tick of the clock brings us closer to the time we must meet the Lord in judgment. Every moment that finds us alive is a gift from God. These fleeting moments are given to us in order for us to get to know Jesus Christ as our Savior. Nobody knows how long they will live, whether it will be a day, a month, or decades. The only wise thing to do is to make no delay but come to the Savior at once and receive forgiveness of sins.
“The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). Will you believe in the name of the One who came looking for you to rescue you?