The swift waters of the Surutu River in Bolivia can drown a man but they cannot drown love. The Bible says, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Song of {s 22221}Solomon 8:77Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Song of Solomon 8:7)). Little Abel found out the truth of this verse one day.
His father, Juan, had taken Abel along to visit Christian friends on the other side of the Surutu River. As they returned home, they saw that the waters of the river had risen considerably. The river was muddy so they could not see the bottom. This made it dangerous to cross the river, and they knew that many people had drowned trying. Little Abel and his father did not know how to swim, so another Christian friend crossed the river first to see if it was safe. They all knew that the swift river often digs holes in the bottom. Their Christian friend, who knew how to swim, walked across safely and then motioned them to come across. It appeared that the water was only waist deep all the way across. Juan carried his son in one arm and grabbed their bag of clothes with the other hand and started to cross.
It was difficult to know exactly where their Christian friend had walked, so Juan took each step cautiously. In the middle of the river, Juan suddenly stepped in a hole and went under the water. He was terrified as he realized that he could not touch bottom. In a panic he wildly felt for the bottom and then pushed with all his might to come to the surface. He gasped for a breath but quickly went under again.
In a moment Juan knew that he had to make a choice. He could let go of the bag of clothes and try to save himself and his son, or he could let go of both the clothes and his son and have a better chance of saving himself. Not much choice! He let go of the bag of clothes but grabbed little Abel tightly and pushed off the bottom of the river again so he could gasp for a breath. Juan continued to jump off the bottom, gulping for a breath whenever he could and clinging tightly to his son. In his wild effort to save their lives, he finally managed to jump out of the hole to a higher place where he could again touch bottom, and the water was only waist deep. The bag of clothes was lost, but Juan and Abel were safe!
Juan could have gotten out of the hole much easier if he had let go of his son, but “love is strong as death.” Juan’s love for his son was as strong as his fear of death. He did not just think of saving himself, but he held his little son tightly, even if it would mean death for both of them.
Does this make you think of an even greater love when you read this story? The love of the Lord Jesus for you and me was even greater than Juan’s love for his son, but the Lord Jesus’ love was also a love that was stronger than death. Juan didn’t have to die, but the Lord Jesus gave His life when we were His enemies so that you and I could be saved. “Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-87For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7‑8)).
The waters of the river did not drown Juan’s love for his son, and the waters of the judgment of God against our sins did not drown the love of the Lord Jesus for us. Listen to the words written about the Lord Jesus when He was on the cross: “Save Me, O God; for the waters are come in unto My soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow Me” (Psalm 69:1212They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. (Psalm 69:12)). The Lord Jesus could have called 10,000 angels to rescue Him, but His love was as strong as death. He stayed on that terrible cross to pay the price for our sins so we could go free.
Is there any love like the love of Jesus? Has it touched your heart? Have you ever thanked Him for dying for you? Do not turn away from His love! Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour today, and you can begin to enjoy His love that was as strong as death for you. “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)).
ML-01/11/1998