At last, the first signs of spring! The ice in the LaHave River was finally breaking up!
Peter, age six, was enjoying the fun of jumping the ice cakes near shore. What fun it was to pretend that they were islands, each one a different size, and some almost too small to stay on. He caught sight of another small one. Would he be able to get to it? Finally he decided to try, and he jumped his way over to it.
Now ice cakes are smaller than ice floes. And this one was pretty small, so he sat down on it so he wouldn’t lose his balance. It was floating slowly away from shore, so slowly he was hardly aware of it. Was he really drifting out from shore ... ?
At first it was fun, but soon Peter discovered he had floated too far out to jump back to another ice cake nearer shore. He knew he was in trouble and began to call for help. Do you think he might have remembered learning this verse in Sunday school? “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:33What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56:3)).
At home, Peter’s mother heard his cries. She called to her neighbors as she ran to the river. Several followed her. For several moments they watched with rising fear as Peter drifted slowly, slowly away from shore.
Boys and girls, if you haven’t asked the Lord Jesus to save you, you are drifting farther and farther away from Him—the only one who can save you from your sins? And while you drift away from Him, you drift farther into the swift current of sin.
Peter’s mother, a believer in the Lord Jesus, cried to the Lord to help them. She believed the verse, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:11<<To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.>> God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)). How she loved her son!
“We must find a boat,” the neighbors shouted. Another neighbor nearby saw what was happening and quickly pushed his rowboat into the water.
Peter was afraid. He was far out from shore now . . . his floating island was almost in the middle of the river! His mother called to him, “Sit still, Peter; don’t move!” She knew if he moved, he would tumble into the icy water. Peter obeyed what she told him.
How important it is to obey our parents. But to obey God’s voice calling to us to accept His Son, Jesus Christ, as Saviour is even more important. John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Don’t put it off; accept Him now before the current of sin takes you far away and you are lost forever.
God’s eye was on Peter, and the rescue boat reached him in time. He was pulled into the boat, and he was safe at last! On shore, his mother rejoiced and thanked the Lord Jesus for His goodness and mercy to Peter. How thankful Peter was to be safe in his mother’s arms.
Wouldn’t you like to be safe in the arms of the Lord Jesus and out of danger?
ML-01/31/2016