Mr. McIntosh was a 74-year-old man who lived by himself along with his five cats. They were his pets, and he loved them very much. One of them, a seven-month-old cat named Angel, would return his love and kindness by saving his life!
How many of you children have animals as pets? Those of you who love your pets and treat them with kindness know that they can become loving and loyal towards their owners. The Bible tells us, “A righteous man [cares about] the life of his [animal]” (Proverbs 12:1010A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)). This means that if we do have pets, God expects us to treat them with kindness.
One night while Mr. McIntosh was sleeping, he was awakened by one of his cats pawing at his face. Sitting up, he realized it was Angel and that something must be wrong! Then he heard a beeping noise, which he thought was the computer, but it wasn’t. Checking elsewhere, he discovered that it was a smoke detector beeping. He quickly got out of the house and called 911 for help.
Soon the firefighters arrived and were busy fighting the flames. They also looked for the five cats still inside. After a while, one of the firefighters came to Mr. McIntosh and told him that they had found the cats in his bedroom. “Great!” said Mr. McIntosh. “No,” said the firefighter, “I’m sorry. They all died.” All five cats had died from the smoke.
A woman from Animal Control was thoughtful enough to put them in a clothes basket and bring them to Mr. McIntosh so he could say goodbye to them. “If it hadn’t been for Angel, I would’ve been dead too,” he said.
When Mr. McIntosh realized he needed help, he was wise to get out of his house and call 911. He did not ignore the situation and hope that the fire would go out by itself. Boys and girls, we need to be wise also. We are all trapped in our sins and helpless to save ourselves. This is why God says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). “All” means each one of us! God is holy and pure, and sin cannot come into His presence, so we need a Savior. Because God loves us, He sent His Son to die on Calvary’s cross for our 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)).
Mr. McIntosh’s losses were great. He lost his home where he and his wife had raised a son. And he lost his cats, which he said were his only source of comfort after his wife died of cancer. Boys and girls, the Bible tells us that there is a much greater loss that we can suffer, if we do not accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We can lose our souls in the lake of fire forever! That is why God gives us the chance now to receive eternal life. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)).
Even though Mr. McIntosh loved his cats, he was unable to save them. Anyone who has animals as pets knows that when they become badly frightened, they panic and become almost impossible to catch or control. But we are not like the animals. God has given each of us a mind and a heart to know the truth and the chance to accept it. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). Do not think that your father or mother can save you. We must each accept God’s way of salvation for ourselves. Come to Him now, before it’s too late!
ML-07/09/2017