Mr. Thomas busily cleared the land of trees, trying to get his mobile home set up before the cold, harsh winter of southern Maine set in. Frost was already in the ground, and snow would be falling at any time.
He pushed the trees away with a big bulldozer and dug trenches with a backhoe to bury the water line. Soon enough land had been cleared, and the water line was laid and connected to the home.
Before much more could be done, the winter’s snows began to fall, and the ground around the home was left uneven with the trenches hurriedly filled with loose, clay-like earth. Boards were laid over parts of the uneven ground to make walking easier.
Winter passed and spring thaws made the yard a muddy mess, the kind that little boys seem especially attracted to.
One Saturday morning, friends decided to come from the city to visit the Thomas family and brought their children along. The children were warned not to play in the mud. But soon, five-year-old Jamie spotted the mud and was off for some fun that only a young boy might enjoy. He jumped from board to board, occasionally missing and sinking a few inches in the muck. Great fun!
When he came to the spot where the trench had been filled in, he stepped off the board into the mud, and just that quickly he began to sink. Almost immediately he was up to his chest and sinking deeper. Jamie cried out, and the other children nearby saw him and began screaming for help! Mr. Thomas heard their cries and came running from the corral where he was tending the horse. By the time he got there, Jamie had sunk up to his neck and was still sinking.
Mr. Thomas quickly threw some boards across the trench, and, kneeling down on them, he grabbed Jamie by the arms and tugged with all his might! Jamie’s mother arrived just in time to see her little boy being pulled out of the muddy trench and saved from possible death. Jamie was very relieved when he found himself once again on solid ground.
This story reminds us of a verse in the Bible that describes in one way how Jamie was rescued when he disobeyed the warning not to play in the mud. “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock” (Psalm 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)). This verse describes the terrible pit we are in because of our sins.
Because Jamie disobeyed what he had been told, he could have lost his life. You and I have disobeyed God, and we are slowly sinking in the pit of sin to our eternal death. The Bible 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)). Another verse tells us the result of our sins: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). It is important for us to realize our danger and to call out to Jesus to save us, to pull us out of the mire of sin and set our feet upon a rock. Another Bible verse says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)). The Lord Jesus went into the pit of death for our sins and is now risen and living in heaven above. He is a wonderful Savior! Won’t you call upon His name and let Him save you?
ML-12/25/2016