When the ship, the Green Lily, set sail, it was a cold, stormy day in November, with dangerous, fifty-foot-high waves on the North Sea off the coast of Scotland. The ship was loaded with frozen fish and was starting out on the long trip to Africa. But the day’s severe weather did not sound like a good time to be out in a ship, no matter how large it might be! There were others who had the same thoughts, including the man in charge of the harbor who warned the captain. But the captain did not listen to the warning and decided to set sail anyway.
Not heeding the warning was just the beginning of problems for the Green Lily. In just a few hours and not very far out to sea, a water line in the engine room broke, and soon after that the main engine stopped running. Now, that was real trouble! Attempts were made to get the engine started, but without success, and the Green Lily was drifting in the cold, stormy North Sea with no help nearby.
Maybe some of you boys and girls might remember another story about a ship that ran into a serious weather problem. In fact, maybe you have sung this Sunday school song about it:
“A little ship was on the sea,
It was a pretty sight;
It sailed along so pleasantly,
And all was calm and bright.”
It’s actually a story from the Bible, and you can read it in Mark 4:36-4136And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. 37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:36‑41). The song goes on to tell that it was not long until a storm came up. The end of that story turned out to be good, because the Lord Jesus was on that ship. When the people onboard asked Him for help, He calmed the wind and the waves, and they made it safely to the other side of the lake. He could do that because He is the Creator, and all things obey Him, even the wind and waves.
However, the Lord Jesus wasn’t a passenger on the Green Lily to calm the stormy North Sea. The captain of the ship waited three hours before he sent out a “mayday” call. That is the signal that a ship is in immediate and serious danger and needs help as soon as possible.
Why did the captain wait so long to call for help? That question was never really answered. But we might ask you the very same question. “What are you waiting for?” If you are still in your sins, you are in very great danger! The Lord Jesus is waiting to be your Saviour right now. You only need to admit to Him that you are a sinner and that you want Him to wash your sins away. He loves you very, very much and is waiting to make you ready for heaven. Right now is the best time to talk to Him. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)). Don’t wait like the captain of the Green Lily did.
Three tugboats were sent out to tow the Green Lily to safety, but they were unsuccessful! Then a Coast Guard helicopter and lifeboat arrived quickly to help. The lifeboat was able to get close enough to rescue five of the crew. However, those five crewmembers did not seem to understand their immediate danger. They wanted to take their luggage with them into the lifeboat! How foolish when they could have been washed overboard by the next high wave.
There were still ten crewmembers left on the deck of the ship to be rescued. Bill Deacon of the Coast Guard was lowered from the helicopter to the deck of the ship, and he helped secure each man to the cable to be lifted into the helicopter. What a relief when the ten crewmembers were safely in the helicopter! But Bill Deacon was still on the ship’s deck waiting for the cable to drop down so he could be lifted to safety in the helicopter. The waves suddenly became rougher and the wind stronger. Before Bill could be lifted back up to the helicopter, he was swept into the sea and lost his life.
What a sad ending to the story of the Green Lily. Bill did not even know the men on the ship, and yet he ended up losing his life after rescuing them. The Lord Jesus Christ loved you and came to earth on purpose to give His life for you. “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)). The crew of the Green Lily was never able to thank Bill for saving their lives, but if you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you can thank Him right now for saving your soul.
ML-09/08/2013