Phillips had been working 14 hours a day, and as he neared the end of his Sunday shift he was feeling tired and harassed. All day long he had sat hunched over his radio, receiving and transmitting messages. Constant interruptions had left him with his in-basket still full of untransmitted messages.
The passengers on board the huge luxury liner were enjoying themselves. Since ship-to-shore radio communication was still in its infancy, the passengers were fascinated with it and amused themselves by sending and receiving personal messages.
All day long messages had poured in—many of them frivolous, but a few vitally important. Six times during the day other ships in the area had radioed news of icebergs in the shipping lanes. Phillips had acknowledged receipt of these messages "with thanks" and had passed the messages on to the captain.
By 11 p.m. there were still many messages waiting to be sent out when the radio crackled to life with still another incoming message. This time the ship sending the message was so close that Phillips reported that the signal almost "blew his ears off." He had had enough, and in total frustration he replied, "Shut up! Shut up! I am busy."
The pace of life in 1986 is rushed and frantic, and perhaps when someone tries to interrupt you with an urgent message concerning the need of your soul, you feel irritated. Still you respond politely, perhaps even "with thanks." Then, as pressure to consider your position as a sinner before God and your need of a Savior continues, you tend to respond as Phillips did, "Shut up! Shut up! I am busy." The consequences of such an attitude can be terrible.
Ordinarily, the frustrated refusal to accept a message would have caused no problem. But the date was April 14, 1912, and Jack Phillips was the First Radio Operator on the Titanic. At 11 p.m. that evening a nearby ship, the Californian, sent a radio message to the Titanic indicating that there were icebergs in the area. Phillips refused to acknowledge the message, and the Titanic proceeded full speed ahead.
Forty minutes later Frederick Fleet who was posted as lookout, sighted an iceberg dead ahead. He notified the officer on the bridge, but it was too late to avoid a collision. The Titanic struck the iceberg and sank, taking more than 1500 passengers and crew members to the bottom with her.
What a tragedy! And yet, every day men and women are brushing off warnings of danger ahead with results that are just as tragic.
What are you doing with those warnings? Are you impatiently replying, "Shut up! Shut up! I am busy later, when I have more time, I'll think about those things"? For you, as for the Titanic's passengers, there may be no "later."
When the Titanic went down, 651 of her passengers and crew were able to find safety in the ship's lifeboats, but there was not room enough for everyone. Many who could have found safety in the lifeboats, refused to trust themselves to such frail-looking craft.
The refuge, however, that God has provided for sinners who will trust Him is great enough to include everyone. "For 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). "The blood of Jesus Christ His 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). And God's refuge is secure: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28).
For the more than 1500 who went down with the Titanic there is no chance of rescue now. But for you, there is still opportunity. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2). Won't you accept Him right now?