“Maybe,” answered Polly, “for Teacher said a lot of people were prang for this man and God heard them, and she said God would hear us just the same. She said it wasn’t only good folks like that man He listens to, but even boys and girls like us. And she said it was a very happy thing for people who love God to die, because then Jesus takes them right up to live with Him in heaven. Let’s ask Him, Joe, to take us.”
“Yes, let’s ask Him,” said the mother who had been listening to the children. “There’s no one else who can help us. Let’s ask Him to keep us safe, or if not, to have mercy on us.”
It was a simple cry the mother put up, but it came from the bottom of her heart.
When they rose from their knees, she took down a Bible from the shelf and at the first place it opened, she read: “The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” Psalm 93:33The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. (Psalm 93:3).
The words brought comfort to their troubled hearts. And it didn’t take long for the answer to come. Turning over the leaves the mother came upon these words in Isaiah: “Thus saith the Lord, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, behold I will heal thee.”
The father said nothing but he leaned forward with a listening look on his face, as if not willing to lose a word, while his wife read on, with a firmer voice and a calmer look on her troubled face.
Then they read about the storm of old on the sea of Galilee and the little ship in such danger, and as soon as Jesus arose, and spoke a word of command, immediately there was a great calm.
Was it imagination or was it because they had become used to the sound, that the waves seemed less boisterous? They held their breath to listen and said to each other: “I do believe the storm is going down a little! The wind certainly isn’t making such a noise around the house and down the chimney!” and the mother added a quiet “Thank God.”
So they listened and hoped and prayed and waited and there could be no doubt, the wind was going down.
It was a good hour past the time of highest tide now and the little cottage still stood its ground with the water all around it. It was too dark to see anything but the twinkle of lights at Fernhead. They fell upon their knees and gave thanks to the mighty God who had spread His sheltering arm around them.
But the father said, “The next tide is a higher one still, the highest of all.”
Yes, they had enough to keep thou anxious all night. But they had learned in their hour of danger and helplessness to lean on One who was mighty and they had a calmness and strength they had never had before.
The wind continued to go down and the next tide flowed quietly in and out again.
When the family opened their doors and windows the next morning each one felt that the lives which had been given back to them must be spent differently from the old ones.
“Please God, I won’t forget Him again and live with scarcely thought of Him as I’ve been doing all along,” said the father reverently.
It was a marvel the cottage escaped, everyone said, who came out to see the damage done by the storm. But the family who had passed the night in that cottage knew whose Hand had been over and brought them safely through the danger. They had proved the truth of that precious word: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psa. 50:1515And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:15).
ML-09/25/1960