In World War I, an army officer had a faithful dog named Stief. The officer was wounded during one of the battles. At the time, Stief was tied up behind the lines. Sensing his master’s danger, Stief chewed through his leash. He dashed through deadly shelling to his master’s side, got a firm grip on his clothing and pulled him to safety. As the dog tugged and pulled, bullets wounded him in the shoulder and leg.
Both Stief and his master lived. What a brave and faithful dog Stief was!
You and I are also wounded -by sin and by Satan’s arrows on the battlefield of life. We would all have died in our sins had it not been for the faithful love of Jesus. He knew our danger and came to rescue us. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, came down into this world to save sinners. He died on the cross as the substitute for all who will confess that they are sinners and believe that Jesus died for their sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)). He is the wonderful Saviour of all who place their trust in Him.
What would you think if Stief’s master had said to his dog, “Go away. . . . I don’t want you. . . . Leave me alone. . . . I’m all right.” You can’t imagine him saying that, can you? But that is just what many boys and girls and grown-ups are saying to the Lord Jesus who came to save them. They prefer to go on in their sins and not think about the awful danger ahead, than to have Jesus save them. Is that what you are doing? It is a serious matter to live without Christ, but it is far worse to die without Him and be lost forever in the lake of fire.
Stief dragged his master to a place of safety, and the Lord Jesus sets all those who trust in Him in a place of safety. Even now they are protected by His precious blood. The punishment of God against sin can never touch them. And before that judgment falls on this Christ-hating world, the Lord Jesus is coming to take all believers home to heaven.
ML-06/12/2005