John Underwood was worried. One of the worst fires of this century was raging in the Idaho foothills, and his vacation cabin was in danger. As he hurried to see what he could do to save it, he met a weary group of firefighters. They stopped to ask directions, and in leaving they advised him to head for land already burned if the fire came close.
At his cabin he found the fire moving forward, but it was slow. A plane came over with fire-retardant chemicals, a helicopter dropped water, and he began “raking burnables away, hoping to form a firebreak. I felt optimistic,” he said.
“Then I heard a roar, looked up and saw fire moving quickly. Trees were burning like giant blowtorches. I could feel the heat!”
Suddenly fire was all around him. He had seen a patch of burned-over ground on his way in, and there was still a narrow path between the flames. He sprinted toward it as the flames closed in on both sides.
He reached the blackened ground where the fire had passed, and there he stayed in the choking smoke and heat until the blaze had raced on away from him. The cabin was gone, but he stood alive and safe—safe where the fire had been.
And that is just where every saved soul stands today—safe, where the fire has been. The Lord Jesus Christ went into the fire of God’s judgment on sin. No human being could ever have borne that fire, but Jesus could and did.
Now there is a safe place for every one who comes and says, “I know I am a sinner, but Jesus died to bear the penalty of my sins. I believe in Him; I accept His offer, and I am safe forever!”
John Underwood did not hesitate when he saw the flames. He ran for safety—and he lived.
Don’t delay!
NOW is the accepted time . . . NOW is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2.)
Be in time!
While the voice of Jesus calls you,
Be in time!
If in sin you longer wait,
You may find no open gate,
And your cry be “Just too late!”
Be in time!