THE SKY was dark and threatening when a man set out on a journey across the Alps Mountains years ago. Not long after he had started it began to snow; then it turned into a real blizzard. The snow fell so heavily that it quickly covered the path in front of him.
The traveler’s face bore an anxious look as he tried to stay on the trail, but in vain. At last he gave up in dismay and decided that he was lost. Wearied in the struggle against the wind and drifting snow he laid down to rest. The snow continued to fall fast and heavily. It was not long before the man was completely cored with a thick white blanket of snow.
In the meantime friends who had been expecting the man decided that he was lost somewhere in the mountains and they organized a search party. Accompanying them in the search was their big dog who knew the mountain trails well. For some time they searched the mountain side without success.
Then the dog, unnoticed by the rest of the party, turned off the path and wandered off a little distance by himself. Suddenly he stopped and with his nose deep in the snow he sniffed. Then he began to dig down into the snow with his paws.
Down under the drifts the man became conscious of something digging down through the snow toward him. What could it be? Perhaps some wild hungry animal, hunting for his dinner, had discovered him. He must act quickly to save himself, he thought. With difficulty he drew his pistol from its holster, and pointing it upward at the dark form above him, he pulled the trigger. There was a loud report, a plaintive yelp of pain, a dull thud as the animal fell by his side on the snow, and then all was still.
The search party had heard the shot and hastened to the spot from where the report came. There they found the noble dog lying dead on the snow. The man half-frozen under the snow heard voices. He was soon pulled to safety by his friends and lived to tell the story of his rescue.
How sorry that man must have been when he saw his brave rescuer lying dead on the snow. The noble creature was slain in the very act of rescuing him who was lost.
The dog has been often called man’s best friend. And yet man, who is a sinner, has a better Friend still. “There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:2424A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24). Jesus the Saviour of sinners is the best Friend of all. He has done for us what neither man nor creature could ever do. He knew that we were hopelessly lost and perishing in our sins, and He came to seek and to save us.
“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). On the cross of Calvary He bore God’s judgment against sin, and He gave His life to redeem sinners back to God and to bring them safe home to heaven. He came from the glory into this world to save sinful men, and men slew Him. Yet God turned this wicked act into the means of man’s salvation for God now offers pardon to all who will believe in Jesus as their Saviour.
The man in our story may have given up hope of being saved, and perished, but now that Jesus has died, lost sinners who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
ML-05/10/1964