One dark midnight, flames were seen coming from the windows of a house. In a few minutes fire trucks came rushing to the scene, their sirens screaming loudly. A crowd quickly gathered, eager to help put out the fire or to rescue anyone in the house. One after another the folks were brought out and kindly received into the homes of the neighbors. It was supposed that all had been saved when a woman burst through the crowd, wringing her hands and crying piteously, “My Nettie, my Nettie is still in there!”
Was it possible that a precious child was still in danger of the awful flames, and no effort was being made to reach her? Yes, the girl was still in the burning house!
Nettie had been put to bed as usual, and after she was asleep, her Nettie’s Rescue mother had gone out to see a sick neighbor. The sound of the fire-siren and the shouts and cries of the crowd brought her quickly to the spot. She gave a hurried glance to see if Nettie had been brought out, but no Nettie was there. Sound asleep in her bed, the little girl was unconscious of her terrible danger.
The firemen looked at each other in dismay. There was not a moment to spare; but who was to risk his life to save little Nettie? Another moment and a tall fireman, his helmet gleaming in the light of the flames, was seen ascending the ladder. It was a terrible risk, and the people below stood with bated breath as they saw him enter the window and disappear amid the smoke.
In less than two minutes he appeared again at the window, clasping the child in one arm. There was a ringing cheer from the crowd, and many a “God bless you” as he came down the ladder. Nettie was soon safely in her mother’s arms. But that noble act cost the fireman his life. The flames from which he saved the young girl had burned him so badly that he never recovered.
Could Nettie ever forget the love of the one who saved her? No; many a time she wept as she thought of his sacrifice, and she often went to the cemetery to put flowers on his grave.
But the love of the fireman was only a shadow of the love of Jesus, who left His heavenly home and, on the cross of Calvary, endured the wrath of God against sin to rescue sinners from eternal judgment and the everlasting fire of hell.
Are you spurning his hand of love outstretched to save you, dear reader? Do you choose rather to continue in sin and go down unconverted to hell? You would not remain in a burning house with flames raging all around? Yet how many sinners choose to remain within a step of hell, refusing salvation.
ML 08/06/1967