People were shoving and pushing and yelling as they hurried toward the river and safety. Behind them smoke billowed out of tinder-dry buildings, and waves of heat and thousands of sparks were carried northward on strong winds. Twelve-year-old Claire pressed her bundle of treasures against her body and listened for her father’s voice above the noise and confusion.
A loud pounding on her door had awakened Claire that early morning of October 9, 1871. News had reached them that strong winds had blown a big fire across the river near their home in Chicago, and the flames were now lighting the early morning sky. Dressing quickly, Claire joined her family, throwing valuables into tablecloths and carrying them out into the already crowded streets. Wagons jammed the roadway, drivers yelled, and people shoved and pushed as the crowds panicked. Claire later had time to write, “Sparks and cinders now began to fall all round us ... . Father told us to drop our bundles and hold hands, but I did not drop mine. The crowd moved forward a little, then people began turning and pushing against us.”
Claire loved her father, but she thought she knew better than to let go of her bundle of treasures. You and I can be just as foolish in hanging onto things that will slow us down in following Christ. Hebrews 12:11Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1) tells us, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Had she known everything that was about to happen, I’m sure Claire would have wished she had followed the truth of Proverbs 13:11A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. (Proverbs 13:1): “A wise son [or daughter] heareth his father’s instruction.”
With the crowds shoving and pushing her, Claire still managed to hold tight to her bundle and keep her family in sight. She had to use one hand to keep falling, burning embers away from her eyes. Then someone grabbed for her bundle. With the help of another man, she broke free from the thief, but by then her mother, father and family were gone. They had disappeared in the swirling sea of smoke, burning cinders and shoving people. She wanted badly to wait for her family to return. Then ahead the roof of a building burst into flames and another caught fire.
Claire had to move on. She hurried after the disappearing crowd, trying to keep up, but it was impossible. She turned into a wide alley near a pile of bricks and other building materials and sat down to rest. She was exhausted. Then to her horror she saw that one end of the alley was suddenly blocked by a wall of fire and smoke. She hurried to the other end and found it was also blocked with billowing smoke and searing heat.
All Claire had wanted was to hang onto a little bundle of her treasures, but now she was separated from her loving family and trapped inside a prison of fire and heat. Satan sometimes uses little things to try to drive a wedge in between our hearts and the loving Lord Jesus. Sometimes he is successful. He lures people in, until it seems impossible to escape.
Hearing the noise of collapsing buildings, Claire buried her face in the dirt behind the big pile of bricks and covered her head. She lay there praying, as around her glass windows burst, roofs collapsed and flames hungrily ate wooden beams.
Slowly the heat lessened, and an injured Claire began calling for help. When none came, she struggled over piles of brick and reached the main street. Staring past the burning buildings, she began to think of how to find her family.
Her trouble, prayer and escape bring to mind the verse in 2 Chronicles 7:1414If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14): “If my people ... shall humble themselves, and pray ... then will I hear from heaven.” Claire was only a young, frightened, trapped girl, but her struggles were like our struggles with sin and our need to humble ourselves before God and ask for His help and forgiveness. For those who are willing to admit to God that they are sinners and need His forgiveness, if they will believe that Christ Jesus died on the cross for their sins, our loving God promises this wonderful relief: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:3434And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)).
Claire returned where her home had been, but everything was gone except piles of bricks and ashes. She waited and waited, but her family didn’t come. She finally wandered slowly down the block. Ahead she saw her father and ran to meet him. Soon she had the wonderful relief of knowing that all her family was safe.
The greatest display of God’s love was in providing a Saviour who died on Calvary’s cross. There He paid the penalty for the sins of all who see their need of having their sins forgiven and accept His work in faith. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
ML-06/14/2009