The great disaster had a very small beginning. There was a house on fire. Soon it would be under control. But it was not brought under control! The wind picked up, and the fire spread to the next house and the next. Soon, the great city of Constantinople (now called Istanbul) was like a roaring furnace! When it was finally over, nearly 40,000 people were homeless, and many had been killed or injured.
There was a missionary family with a young daughter, Mary, living in Constantinople during the great fire. At the time of the fire Mary’s father was out of the city, and Mary and her mother were at home alone. When the fire got out of control and began to spread, people all around them were terrified as they tried to save themselves and their belongings. Already some had been killed and others badly injured. Mary and her mother were frightened, too, not knowing just what to do.
For the first time in her young life, Mary realized that she was not ready to meet God. “What if I’m killed in this fire! What will happen?” The thought scared her so much that she ran to her mother and told her. Her mother held her tightly and told her the wonderful story again of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for sinners. Mary knew the story well, but had never thought that she needed to be saved. After all, weren’t her parents missionaries?
Now Mary saw herself as a helpless sinner and needing a Saviour. She understood that the Lord Jesus had died on the cross for her sins. Now she believed that her sins had been washed away in His blood, and she was clean. She told her mother, and they both knelt down and thanked God for saving her soul.
As they got up from their knees there was a loud knock at the door. Opening it they found two sailors from one of the Navy boats in the harbor. They were offering their help.
“Your house is in the path of the fire, and we’re here to help. Now, Ma’am,” they said to her mother, “the most valuable things first! You direct, and we’ll work.” The sailors worked as fast as they could to get the most valuable things out of the house. The house and everything that was left was burned to the ground.
After they moved into a shelter with many other people whose homes had burned, Mary got to thinking about what the sailor had said, “The most valuable things first.” He could not speak English very well, but she knew what he meant—there wasn’t much time, because the fire was coming fast.
She could see that this was exactly what she had not done as far has her own young life was concerned. She had spent very little time taking care of what her soul needed, and it would go on living forever. But she had spent lots of time every day taking care of what her body needed, and some day it would die and turn to dust. She knew she had not been obeying God, because His Word, the Bible, tells us, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” Matthew 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33). She was so happy now that she had believed in her heart and confessed with her mouth that God had raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)).
ML-09/05/1982