Destructive hurricanes roar through the West Indian Islands nearly every year. These most often appear in the months of August and September, so they are known as the “danger months.” During this time of the year boats are pulled up where it is hoped that wind and water will not reach them in case of storm. At this time of year people are very cautious about going out to sea, for experience has taught them to avoid the risk.
Yet we always find people who will not listen to warnings; we see some like this spoken of in the Bible. They do not believe that the Son of God is coming to this earth again. They say, “Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” What a terribly bold thing to say in the face of the words of the Lord Jesus: “I will come again” ( John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)), and, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)).
In the first week of October a vessel, the Valley, set out from Nassau to go to Cat Island. The crew decided to sail in spite of frantic protests on the part of loved ones. The men thought that the season for hurricanes was over, but a falling barometer and threatening skies warned that danger was by no means past. Also word reached Nassau that a hurricane was moving northwest from Puerto Rico. In spite of the warnings, they put to sea.
The Valley carried only one mainsail and was dependent wholly on the wind for power. All went well until it neared the shores of Cat Island. Moving up the shoreline of this island they began to encounter contrary winds, and it was evident that the hurricane was really coming their way. The wind was offshore, and they tried to keep as close to the shore as possible to avoid the roughest sea. Their hope was to reach a certain creek ahead where there would be shelter for the boat.
On land their distress had been seen, and it was evident to the watchers that the Valley could never reach the creek. They knew that there was only one way for those on the vessel to save their lives, and they cried to the captain of the boat, “Run the boat aground and save yourselves!”
But the captain would not consider such a proposal. To him the loss of the vessel seemed so serious that he was willing to risk the loss of his own life and the lives of the thirty-five passengers on the boat!
The captain shouted back, “We can easily reach the creek; we have plenty of time.”
Another frantic appeal was made from shore to run aground on the sandy beach and be saved, but again the captain ignored it and the sail of the vessel was reset to take it further out to sea. Swirling mists and fitful gusts of wind carried the boat onward, and like some doomed spectral object, it disappeared from the sight of the people on shore, never to be seen again.
Time has passed by, and not even a fragment of any kind has the sea yielded up to give a clue as to what happened to the ship. We can only think of it as the tragedy of the Valley.
How sad it is to realize that every person on the boat could have been saved! Twice they were warned and told what to do. It reminds us of the verse in God’s Word which says, “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” ( Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)).The captain apparently thought more of his boat than of the lives of others. He certainly was willing to risk his own life to preserve his ship, but “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:3636For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)).
How foolish we are not to listen to the voice that speaks from heaven. Hebrews 12:2525See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25) tells us, “See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven.”
But what a different Captain those have who know the Lord Jesus as their own personal Saviour! He is able and willing to save all those who come to God by Him. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.”
Should you die without being under the shelter of Christ’s blood, there is a storm before you. Will you not at this moment commit your soul into the hands of the One who will see you safely through to the other shore?