I KNEW a little boy who was very I disobedient to his parents, and on one occasion his disobedience almost cost him his life.
This little fellow lived with his parents near a mill where there was a lot of machinery. He was not allowed to go to the mill alone, as his parents were afraid he might get caught in the machinery. But one day, unknown to them, he made his way there.
This incident took place years ago before they had the modern machinery that most shops have today.
There was in this mill a youth who ran a crane. His work was to hoist things up to the top floor. The little boy had gone to the mill that day, and this youth suggested to him (and he should have known better) that he should catch hold of the hook at the end of the rope. The little fellow thought it would be fun to have a ride through the air in this manner, and when the rope had been lowered to the ground, he clasped his hands around the hook.
Soon the youth at the top started the hoist, and our little friend was lifted off his feet and carried upwards. At first he enjoyed his ride through the air; it was a thrill to be going higher and higher every moment, but very soon his arms began to get tired. He shouted to the boy up above to let the rope down. The crane was speedily reversed, but bore many seconds had elapsed the little follow had fainted. He was a long way from the ground when he let go the hook and dropped.
I am thankful to tell you that he was not killed though he might easily have been. God had so ordered it that a man was passing by who, seeing the danger in which the little boy was, ran to the spot just in time to catch the falling child in his strong arms. A moment later and he would have been dashed to pieces on the pavement below.
This little incident has often reminded me of the gospel. By nature we were all disobedient, and powerless too, just like that little boy. We have all fallen through sin, and would all perish in our sins, had not God sent His beloved Son to save us. The Lord Jesus came down to where we were, but He had to go to the cross and die to put our sins away.
We read that “When we were yet without strength, Christ died for the ungodly.” But He is not dead now. He is risen and alive forevermore at God’s right hand in heaven.
If you, dear young reader, are not saved, the Lord Jesus wants you to trust yourself to His strong arms of love—to trust Him as your Saviour. Those who do so will never perish. But those who will not trust Him as their Saviour will die in their sins and be eternally lost.
ML-07/15/1962