With the heat of summer comes dangerous grass and forest fires. When a fire gets started, it often comes rushing along with such speed that sometimes whole barns and buildings, animals and birds are caught in the path of the flames.
Not too long ago some friends were telling me of a grass fire, where the flames were rushing up a hill with a sound like the roar of the sea. Halfway up the hill was a clump of bushes where a hen pheasant was sitting on a nest. No one could get near the bushes because of the heat of the approaching flames. But they did all they could to make the bird leave her nest. They shouted, they threw stones, they struck the bushes with long sticks, but all to no avail. The brave mother bird still sat on her precious eggs.
On swept the cruel flames and reached the bushes. Alas, poor bird but no!—just as the fire almost touched her, she flew up with a loud cry, and so escaped just in time! The nest and eggs were burned, but she was saved.
A few minutes later my friend saw a snake coiled round fast asleep just where the fire was coming. He tried to wake it so that it too might have a chance of escape, but in vain. It only just moved in a very sleepy way. It would not escape, and so perished.
There are ever so many people in the world like that poor snake. Their souls are fast asleep—perhaps having beautiful dreams—while ever nearer and nearer, like the grass fire, judgment is coming.
Oh, dear readers, don’t any of you be like that! Wake up! “Flee from the wrath to come!” Escape to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinner’s refuge, and you will be safe forever.
ML-07/10/1977