Splash! The elderly man tripped and stumbled right through the railing on the pier and into the chilly Fraser River of Canada. He went all the way under before his head bobbed back above the water.
It was close to midnight, and the light from the lamps in the harbor barely lighted the spot where he had fallen into the chilly water. He reached out to grab the pier.
In his younger days, he easily could have pulled himself out. Now, no matter how hard he tried, the arthritis in his hands robbed him of his strength, and he could not do it. At that late hour, no one heard his cries for help. He tried working his way along the pier to shallower water, but he only grew tired.
The harbor was large, and since it was still early in the season, many boat slips were empty. Only a few boaters were spending the night on their boats.
On the dock just above where he had fallen, Hunter, the man’s little Corgi dog, watched him anxiously. The little dog sensed the danger and barked nervously. When no one came to help, Hunter left his master struggling in the water and ran down the pier to a boat where a man was sleeping on board. Hunter barked persistently at the boat. He barked until the sleeping man woke up and came onto the deck of his boat.
This man recognized Hunter and after a moment realized that something must be wrong. He followed the little dog through the darkness, down the pier to the spot where Hunter’s owner was struggling to keep from drowning. He was able to haul the elderly man out of the water to safety.
Hunter sensed his owner’s danger, and, as a loyal and faithful companion, he did all he could to bring help. His faithfulness helped save his master’s life. Faithfulness is being true to a friend when they are in trouble.
Now let’s think about the greatest act of faithfulness ever known. Before God placed man on this earth, He knew that man would turn against Him. He knew that man would become a sinful rebel. So before He created the world, He made the plan of salvation. In this great plan, the Lord Jesus would leave His home in heaven and become a man here on earth. In faithfulness to man, His creature whom He loved, He would go all the way to Calvary’s cross where He would be nailed and left to die a cruel death. On the cross, the blood He would shed would wash away the sins of all those who would believe on Him. The Lord Jesus has fulfilled this great plan and is offering Himself as the Saviour of sinners!
Man, the rebellious sinner, now has an offer of grace opened to him: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:33Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). Truly, Jesus is the sinner’s faithful Friend. Won’t you come to Him and by faith receive the salvation He offers to you today? The water out of the wells of salvation is there for you to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:88O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)).
ML-10/20/2002