It had been snowing heavily all that Sunday morning. My family and I had been invited to my cousin Bob’s house for dinner. After the Sunday worship meeting, Bob took my two oldest children along with his two oldest in his car and started for his house. His family lived in a small town ten miles south of our city. We took Bob’s two youngest children and our youngest in our car but stopped off at home first to put a snow shovel in the car.
As soon as we drove out of the shelter of any buildings, I realized how serious conditions were. It was a whiteout! I couldn’t see beyond the car’s hood, and snowdrifts were forming across the road. I drove about two miles and then decided to turn the car around and go back home. I had to get out two or three times in the bitter cold to shovel the car out of drifts. We finally reached the safety of our home but little realized that we would not know where our loved ones were in the other car from noon until 6:00 the next morning. This was before people had cell phones, so we simply had to pray to the Lord for their safety. Isaiah 32:22And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. (Isaiah 32:2) was our comfort: “A man [the Lord Jesus] shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert [shelter] from the tempest [storm].”
Bob’s wife, Mary, had to stay home that day, so you can imagine the worried phone calls between our houses all afternoon and evening. In small towns, people often go out of their way to help one another. Mary finally called a state trooper friend who rounded up a big front-end loader and two snowplows. They started at midnight, digging their way toward the city, through the sub-zero, howling blizzard. Finally, at 6:00 the next morning, they came upon a group of 40 cars stuck in large drifts. Among them was Bob’s car, and all were safe and warm inside.
We were so grateful to Bob for his care of our children and to our Lord Jesus who watched over their safety. We were thankful that Bob also had a full tank of gas. This permitted him to run the car’s motor and heater from time to time to keep them all warm.
A few travelers stranded in the snow that night ran out of gas. Some perished in their cold cars, and some left their cars and perished in the snow. They remind us of the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 who had no oil in their lamps. They were not true Christians, who are cleansed from their sins; they were pretending to be Christians. When the call came to meet the bridegroom, who is like Jesus, the door was shut, and they were left outside to perish in their sins. Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to bear your sins away? or will you be left behind to perish in your sins?
A rescue team was sent out to those lost in the storm, and God has sent His beloved Son to rescue sinners from perishing in their sins. “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 3:1616For 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)). When God’s Son was born into this world, the angel proclaimed, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)). In Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10), Jesus proclaims, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
How thankful and happy we were to hold our dear rescued children in our arms again. I’ve often thought that when the Lord Jesus calls us away and all the saved ones are caught up to the Father’s house in heaven, safe from the awful storm of God’s judgment on this wicked world, how sad it will be if some of our loved ones are left behind to perish in their sins. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)). “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:1818For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)).
ML-01/17/2010