“YIPPEE! WE’RE GOING WHITE-WATER RAFTING!” yelled Mark, as he raced to his tent to put on his bathing suit and find his life jacket.
Soon the sturdy, yellow, inflatable rafts were loaded onto the pickup truck, which started down the bumpy, gravel road to the river. A bus followed full of campers and their leaders. Everyone knew the river was full of rapids, and they were all eager to accept the challenge.
It was quite windy that day, and the river was a lot rougher than usual. The waves were tipping the rafts so much that a commercial raft from another group flipped over, dumping everyone in the water. The leader of the raft Mark was on became concerned that they could flip over too, dumping all of them in the water. Then who would be able to get them out from underneath their large, overturned raft? Right then, an extra-big wave picked up their raft and stood it almost on its end.
“MAN OVERBOARD!” someone shouted. Quickly the others pulled him back into the raft. Then someone noticed that Mark was missing! But where was he? They couldn’t see him in the water. The only place he could be was under the raft!
They quickly lifted one corner of the raft, and out popped Mark, gasping for breath. They dragged him up into the raft and checked him over. He was okay, just shivering with cold and fright.
“What if we hadn’t found you?” the leader asked him. “Where would you be now?”
Mark hung his head. He knew he was a sinner and that he wasn’t saved. He also knew that if he had drowned he would be in eternity without ever having asked the Lord Jesus to wash away his sins.
The leader in charge of the raft reminded Mark of the tremendous price Christ had paid so his sins could be forgiven. He explained again how Christ had suffered for our sins in His own body on the cross. “[God] hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). Mark was very serious.
Later that day, the camp director asked Mark if he would like to pray to receive the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and be saved from his sins. Yes, Mark was very willing.
Mark’s mother and brother had also realized how serious Mark’s close call had been. They knew that they needed to have the matter of their own sins settled too, and they both also prayed to receive the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and to be washed clean from their sins.
There was lots of rejoicing in the camp that night! Everyone was so thankful that Mark had been saved from drowning and also that he, his mother and his brother had been “rescued” from spending their eternity in the lake of fire, paying for their own sins. But there was rejoicing in more than their camp that night: “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:1010Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:10)).
Like Mark and his mother and brother, has there been joy in heaven over your repenting of your sins and letting the Lord Jesus wash them away in His shed blood?
ML-08/15/2010