The loaded cargo ship pulled away from the San Francisco pier on a beautiful fall morning. It was starting on a four-week journey to the South Pacific. There it would be unloaded and then reloaded with goods to be brought back to the United States. This was a routine trip for the sailors who were on this ship. There were times, however, when they became aware of their helplessness in the face of the forces of nature.
As the sunny days passed, there were no thoughts of problems in the sailors’ minds. However, when the ship was about 600 miles off the California coast, a storm sprang up, and the ship’s engines broke down. Suddenly, they had big problems!
On the lowest deck of the ship, two large tractors were tied down. Each of these weighed several tons. As the ship rolled and tossed in the storm with no engines to direct its course, one of the tractors broke loose and began rolling from side to side, crashing into the side of the ship with each roll. Although the sailors tried to tie it down again, it kept breaking loose. They finally gave up and told the captain that it was too dangerous to try to tie down the tractor.
Their problems continued to get worse. The loose tractor crashed into the second tractor, loosening it. Now both tractors rolled back and forth as the ship rolled in the huge waves. The storm was still raging, and the weight of the tractors would break through the side of the ship in a very short time.
As these thoughts rushed through the captain’s mind, he knew nothing could be done with the storm still raging and the engines not working. He called to his crew members and told them they all must pray. The crew gathered together, and each one prayed to the Lord of the universe to save them from certain death.
God, in His goodness, heard these desperate cries, and He calmed the storm. It was safe then for the Coast Guard to approach the ship and tow it back into port.
The ship, captain and crew members reached the port safely. But when the incident was discussed later, no credit was given to God. None of the crew stopped to thank God for saving them from the terrible storm.
There is another storm that God has made calm through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the kind of storm that causes ships to be tossed on waves. It is the kind of storm that is caused by sin, because God hates sin. But because God loves us so much, He sent the Lord Jesus to die on the cross. All His hatred of sin was put on the Lord Jesus instead of you — if you take Him as your Saviour. Have you accepted the calming of this awful storm from God? Have you asked the Lord Jesus to be your Saviour? If you have not, then you will be punished for your own sins! “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).
Why not take the Lord Jesus as your own Saviour right now and be free of the punishment that must come on anyone who is not sheltered by Him.
ML-04/26/1987