WHEN I was a boy we lived on a cattle ranch in Texas. There were many coyotes on the prairies, which preyed on the young calves, so Father bought a beautiful greyhound to protect them. We called him Blackie and when he was not chasing coyotes, he liked to chase rabbits.
Often. I would throw my hat into the air and shout as I watched Blackie chase a jack rabbit. The rabbit would lay back both ears and race for his life with the dog at his heels. He was a wonderful runner, but he couldn't outrun a greyhound.
I noticed that a jack rabbit would never run into a place of safety. There were many badger holes, haystacks, granaries, and even hollow logs he could have taken shelter in, but he never did. Too proud to hide, too self-confident to run to shelter, spurning the hole in the ground or a ledge of rock, the jack rabbit depended on his strong hind legs and lost!
One day Blackie noticed a little cottontail rabbit and started to chase it. He was only about a third the size of a jack rabbit. I said to myself, "Too bad, little rabbit. You don't have a chance."
But moments later I heard Blackie howling and scratching at a rock half as big as a house. Into a hole under the rock the little cottontail had run and was perfectly safe. He couldn't depend on his tiny legs but he had the good sense to run to a place of safety in the rock. Nothing could touch him there.
Years have passed since that time, and I've come to know the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. I've often thought of these two rabbits — the long-legged, proud, independent jack rabbit that never seeks a place of safety, and the timid little cottontail who immediately runs to a safe hiding place at the first alarm — as a picture of two classes of sinners; for we are all sinners.
Some people say, "I'll take my chance. I have a few sins, but I'm not so bad. I'm not afraid." So they try to outrun sin, Satan. and the judgment of God. They depend on their own strength to reform; their good deeds and their pride keeps them from running to the only place of safety — the Saviour of sinners. They do not like to think that their sins will find them out, but the Bible says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." Num. 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23). Again, "God requireth that which is past." Eccles. 3:1515That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. (Ecclesiastes 3:15). "God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing." Eccles. 12:1414For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
But the good news of salvation is that God has Himself provided a refuge for the sinner, His own blessed Son whom He sent into the world to be your Saviour and mine.
He is the Rock of Ages, and death, hell and judgment cannot touch a soul that is safe in Christ. Make Him the refuge of your soul this day.
Messages of the Love of God 8/10/1975