A Mother's Rescue

 
One hot summer day, my two youngest children and I were walking along a busy city street. Just as we got to a large oak tree, a squirrel’s nest fell at our feet. It was about the size of a large beach ball and made out of sticks and leaves. Part of it split open when it hit the sidewalk so that we were able to see what was inside. There lay four, tiny squirrels, squirming and squeaking. Like all newborn baby squirrels, they were naked with just a trace of fur, and their eyes were still closed.
“What shall we do?” asked one of the children, and the answer arrived just at that moment. Down the tree came the mother squirrel. She sniffed her babies all over to see if they were all right. Then without a moment’s hesitation, she picked up one in her mouth, ran with it as fast as she could across that busy street, and went directly to a tree with a hole in it. She climbed the tree and placed her baby inside the hole.
As we stood and watched, one by one the mother rescued each tiny squirrel until all were safe. She must have been very smart to make those seven trips safely across that busy street! It is wonderful that God gives His creatures a mother’s tender care and an instinct to know just what to do in a time of danger. The mother squirrel already knew about the hole in that tree across the street, and her little ones were safe.
As we think about those helpless baby squirrels, we see a picture of helpless, lost sinners.
Sinners are blind. “The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:44In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)).
Sinners are naked. God sees all our sins; we can’t cover them up. “All things are naked and opened, unto the eyes of Him [God] with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)).
Sinners have fallen and are at the mercy of destroyers. “The devil, as a roaring lion, [walks] about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:88Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8)).
Those little squirrels were in real trouble. Death was ahead for them, until their caring mother rescued them and provided a place of safety. Death and hell are ahead for lost sinners, but a loving God has provided a rescuer in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus has provided that place of safety for you and me. By faith, we can be washed clean of every sin through the blood He shed on Calvary’s cross.
Will you accept the Lord Jesus as your rescuer from everlasting death and hell and receive His promise of everlasting life in heaven? “He that [believes] on the Son [has] everlasting life: and he that [believes] not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God [abides] on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). “Whoso [puts] his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:2525The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)).
ML-11/25/2012