ONE winter in a big smoky manufacturing town there was a thick fog that stayed for three days and nights without lifting. The people there were oppressed by it. In a great town where there is the smoke of thousands of chimneys the heavy fog very soon turns into heavy darkness, so that even with the lights on it is hard for one to find his way about. You can imagine how that living in darkness both day and night becomes at last awfully dressing.
Now what do you suppose the people in that big town began to think? They began to think it was a sign that the end of the world was coming—that the Lord was coming—that judgment was coming; and most of them were not ready to meet God. They were frightened, wondering what they should do.
Then somebody said, “The Bible can tell.” Alas, a great many of them hadn’t got a Bible. As long as the sun shone and things went well for them they got along without God and His precious Book. Now many of them hastened to the book shops and bought Bibles, and the sale of Bibles that week was quite astonishing.
But wasn’t it rather late, when they believed that the Lord was at hand, to go and buy a Bible to find out the way of salvation and to learn about Him? In general, in matters of every day life, prudent people prepare for the future, but it seems that when it comes to the salvation of their souls, the most important thing in life, so often it is the last thing that people think about.
Well it so happened that the Lord did not come as people thought, and the fog cleared off. For the most part the Bibles were put on the shelf, and the preparation of their souls for eternity was put off too. Alas, for many of those people, there was no getting ready at all!
Now, dear reader, do not you be like that. Do not say, I shall wait till tomorrow or next week or until I am old, to get ready to meet God. The Bible says, “Prepare to meet thy God” now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2. Come to the Saviour NOW while it is yet the day of grace.
God’s house is filling fast!
Yet there is room!
Some guest will be the last,
Yet there is room!
Yes, soon salvation’s day
From you will pass away,
And grace no more will say,
“Yet there is room!”
ML-05/29/1966