William Butler and his wife were going on a round-the-world adventure. In their 40-foot sloop the two of them set out from Miami, Florida, on a trip that would take four years. For two months all went well.
By June 15, 1989, they were 1,200 miles west of the Central American coastline. At 4 a.m. a pod of about 200 whales was swimming past the Butlers when suddenly the largest whale attacked their boat. More whales began battering the sloop, and they punctured a hole in the fiberglass hull before they finally swam away.
The Butlers heard water gushing into their boat. They immediately launched their six-foot inflatable rubber raft, loaded it with some provisions, and sent out a Mayday signal - a call for help. Fifteen minutes later their boat sank. They were left alone in the Pacific Ocean in their small rubber raft.
To add to their problems, they accidentally poked a hole in their raft as they were getting in. They quickly found a patch in their emergency kit. Mr. Butler said afterwards, “By the grace of God, the patch we had was exactly the same size as the hole in the raft.”
For the next 66 days the Butlers floated with the ocean currents. They caught fish, first with a hook and line, and then by hand when they lost the hook. They had to eat the fish raw.
Nearly 40 ships went by, but no one saw them. The Butlers knew the value of prayer, and as they drifted alone out on the ocean they asked God to send someone to rescue them. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15)).
The day after they fired their last signal flare, a Costa Rican coast guard boat was searching for a missing shrimp boat. They spotted the Butlers in their little raft, 30 miles from Costa Rica. The Butlers had drifted 1,170 miles in 66 days.
Mr. Butler said of their ordeal, “We discovered once again the power of God and prayer. That’s the only thing that really saved us.”
Let’s change places now, boys and girls. Put yourself in the Butlers’ place. You are alone on the ocean. All the ships pass right by without anyone seeing you. You are facing death. Now, can you pray? Do you believe that God sees you and hears your prayers?
Each of us is in our own little boat on the ocean of life. Some of us are looking forward to entering the safe harbor of heaven. Some are drifting with the currents and heading toward shipwreck on the shore of destruction, called hell. Where are you headed? To heaven or to hell?
The Butlers looked to God for help, and He sent a boat that wasn’t even looking for them. But did you know that God sent Someone to seek for you to save you? “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)). Without the Saviour you are lost on the ocean of life and heading toward certain shipwreck. Right now, trust in Jesus Christ to save you. Let God forgive you and let Jesus pilot you safe home to heaven’s harbor.
ML-07/16/1995