Standing on his boat that was gently rocking with the waves, Greg Hartley made the final adjustments to his scuba gear. Satisfied that all his equipment was just right, he stepped off into the cold waters of Queen Charlotte Strait. This strait is a long, deep channel of water that runs between the northern part of Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Greg’s co-workers on the boat watched his trail of air bubbles for a few moments before they went back to other duties.
With a series of kicks with his flippers and a sweep of his hands, Greg swam to the bottom of the strait. The amount of sea life he saw during these dives always amazed him. Through his mask he saw red rockfish, green ling cod, multitudes of starfish, crabs and eels. He was hunting for sea urchins on the floor of the strait. When he would find one, he would grab the spiny little creature in his hand and then drop it into a bag which he had tied to his belt. Sea urchins are a favorite food of sea otters. Many people also consider them a special treat, and Greg made his living by diving for them.
His dive went well, and the bag was bulging with the red, and sometimes purple, little sea urchins. Greg checked his watch . . . it was time to surface. He swam upwards, and when he broke the surface, he turned around in a complete circle looking for the boat. It was nowhere in sight!
Slowly Greg realized that the tidal current had swept him along while he was diving, and now his boat was nowhere near. The current, moving as fast as a man might jog, had been carrying him out to sea. What a fool he had been for diving when the tide was rushing out!
Greg knew he must do everything possible to stay afloat until someone spotted him. He knew he couldn’t swim very long with the heavy scuba equipment on his back, so he opened the latches and the belt and let his expensive equipment slip off and sink to the bottom.
After treading water for what seemed a long time, he saw a log and swam to it. He pulled himself up and straddled it like a horse. The log would keep him floating, but he wasn’t out of danger since the outgoing tide was still carrying him out to sea.
The hours passed and the sun dipped beneath the horizon. By the light of the moon, Greg could just see the faint outlines of the waves as they washed up against the log.
Alone on the dark sea and growing very weary, Greg was drifting farther and farther away from the safety of shore. How many of us are drifting on the sea of life, away from the God who made us and loves us. God did not make us like a lower creature that is not capable of knowing Him; no, He gave us a living soul, with a heart that can know, love and obey Him. But instead of doing what pleases God, you and I have pleased only ourselves and drifted far from God. We have each fallen into sin and done that which is hateful in God’s sight. Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) tells us plainly, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Even as sinners, God deeply loves us and cares about us. In order to bring us back to Himself, He sent His only Son into the world. The Bible says, “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)). Not letting anything stop Him -the suffering or the cost of His life - Jesus went all the way to the cross. Referring to His death on the cross, He said, “If I be lifted up . . . [I] will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:3232And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32)). The only way for a sinner to come back to God the Father is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross is able to wash away every spot of sin. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Throughout the long, dark hours, Greg sang songs to keep himself awake. Then out of the darkness he was startled to see a freighter bearing down on him. The prow of the ship was slicing through the water like a giant knife. To his dismay, the ship was headed directly towards him. It would soon crush him and snap the log to pieces as easily as if it were a toothpick. Wildly Greg waved his arms and yelled with all his might.
Just when all seemed lost, the boat turned slightly to one side and slowed to a stop. Upon hearing that a man had been lost at sea, the captain had purposely placed a sailor to act as lookout on the bow of the ship. The sailor on watch had seen Greg and notified the captain, with just enough time to avoid hitting him. They picked Greg up out of the water and saved his life. It was a night he will never forget.
Before one more dark night goes by in your life, won’t you make the decision to let the Lord Jesus save you? Then you may begin a new life of living to please Him. You need not drift away from God any longer; Jesus is waiting to save you. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).
ML-04/03/2005