I stood one day on some cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean while a friend pointed out a rocky reef a little way off shore. Waves were crashing and foaming over it, and he told me that was the spot where an Austrian ship had once struck on the rocks. Through a fierce storm the lifeguards on shore struggled with their rocket apparatus, and as soon as it was on the spot nearest the sinking ship they fired the rocket with the lifeline.
Their aim was perfect; they could see that the rope was caught fast in the rigging, but instantly every sailor on the ship rushed below and not a man was to be seen. There was the rope attached, and there hung the board with the directions as to its use-directions in half-a-dozen languages-but no one even looked at it.
The lifeguards knew that the rough seas would break the ship to pieces very soon, and they would not be able to save any. At last one man could stand it no longer and, getting into the lifebuoy, he went down the line to the ship. Through the hatch he flung the painted board of instructions. A score of frightened faces looked up in terror at him. They took the board and read it; hastily they explained it to one another and scrambled out to the life line. First one, then another, availed himself of the apparatus until all were safely on the shore.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, they hugged and kissed their deliverers joyfully. “We heard-we saw-the shot. We thought you wanted to kill us,” they explained in broken English.
How sad it would have been if they had drowned because they were afraid of the only ones who could save them-if they died because they did not believe in the rescue that was offered. And how many people are like them today-afraid of God-unbelieving as to the salvation He wants to give them.
“The Lord...is long-suffering...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)). He is “a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Neh. 9:1717And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. (Nehemiah 9:17)).
Then why be afraid? Why doubt His love and mercy? Why wait until it is too late to be saved? The Lord Jesus says to you now, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”-rest for time and for eternity. If you are afraid to come, if you do not believe His promise, if you wait until your ship of life breaks up and sinks into the waters of death, your chance will have gone forever.