One day last summer as I was on my way outside to mow the lawn, my wife asked me to first try to rescue some toads that had jumped down into one of our basement window wells. She had already tried to lift them out, but her arms were not long enough. She did not want to leave them there, trapped and helpless, because they would soon die. Since my arms were longer, she thought maybe I could lift them out of the well. So I leaned over the edge and tried, but the window well was too deep for me also. I could not quite reach to the bottom where they sat.
I had another idea: if I put one foot down into the well, perhaps I could then lean down in and reach the toads that I hoped to rescue. And sure enough, it worked! I was able to lift each of them out and carry them over to where there was some water on the other side of our yard. Down in the well it was dry. The only food they could possibly get was whatever insects might happen to fly close enough to their hungry tongues. Now they were free and could jump wherever they wanted to find food, and they had plenty of water, too.
As soon as I was done lifting each of them to safety, I went on with my mowing job. As I mowed I thought about those toads and how they could be a picture to us of many boys and girls in this world today. That window well is like this world with all of its sin that is in each of our hearts. Boys and girls (and men and women, too) are lost in sin. Our toads, if left to themselves, would never have gotten out of that pit. They would have died right there sooner or later. So we also face death as sinners and, worse still, certain punishment in hell after death, if we are not rescued out of that awful pit of sin.
Thanks be to God, He has provided a way of escape—you do not need to die in your sins. The Lord Jesus, God’s Son, died on the cross and suffered there God’s punishment against sin. He came all the way down from heaven to this earth to provide the way for us to be rescued from everlasting punishment in hell for our sins. If I believe in Him, that He died there for me, bearing my sins, the Bible assures me that I am saved from hell and saved to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus in heaven. You know, the world and all its attractions cannot give people happiness that will last, but once we are saved He gives us happiness and joy and peace in our hearts that nothing in this world can ever take away from us.
Going back to my toad story again, several of them were jumping around in the pit when I tried to rescue them. In fact, they would hardly let me pick them up. When I finally did catch them they squirmed in my hands until I let them go again. They made me think of some boys and girls who are quite satisfied in this world and who don’t even want to be reminded or warned of the punishment that they must face for their sins. It makes them squirm to get away.
Another of the toads seemed to have no energy left. He didn’t put up a fight when I tried to lift him out of the pit. But when he got over by the water, he seemed very glad to be free. He is like a boy or girl who is sorry for his or her sins and who is ready to let the Lord Jesus save him or her.
The Lord Jesus is ready and waiting to save you. Have you confessed to Him that you are a sinner and asked Him to save you? Which of those toads are you like? Are you still squirming away from Him and the salvation that He wants to give you from the awful pit of hell? Or are you going to call on Him right this moment to save you? “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psalms 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15). “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Psalms 40:22He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (Psalm 40:2).
ML-03/25/1984