Janie walked slowly home after her music lesson. It was a beautiful afternoon. As she walked along the narrow, sandy path, she could hear the waves pounding on the rocks many feet below her. Up on the cliffs, she loved to feel the salty breeze blowing her hair away from her face. She loved to hear the sea gulls calling to one another and watch them as they glided on the air currents and then swooped down so close to the waves below. She loved the ocean. It seemed to awaken the adventuresome spirit in her, making her forget all that was around her and the cares of the day.
Janie had walked home this way many times. Each time, there was something that caught her eye. It made her so curious! Today she could stand it no longer! A little way off the path there was a large hole in the rocks. It looked like the mouth of a cave. Across it were large boards and signs that said, “DANGER! KEEP OUT!” Each time she passed by, she wondered what was in that cave. Maybe it was a tunnel that led to a beautiful underground tidal pool, or maybe it led to an opening way down the cliffs, where she could have a secret place to get away by herself and watch the sea gulls and feel the salty spray of the waves as they hit the rocks. Today she would find out, she decided, so she went over to take a closer look.
Really, it didn’t look as bad as the danger signs made it sound, so she crawled under the boards and went slowly forward. The light was dim in the cave, but she could see that it was a tunnel, and a tunnel always leads to somewhere. Janie decided she had to find out where this one led.
Slowly, carefully she made her way along the tunnel, her hands touching the narrow walls. It was damp, and she could see little crabs scuttling out of her way as she moved forward. There were starfish, too, and sea urchins inching their way along the wet walls of the cave. Janie noticed that the tunnel was slowly going down. As she made her way along, she came to a bend in the tunnel. Around the corner it was pretty dark. What was ahead? Maybe she was near the end. She thought it couldn’t be much farther. But what if there were a large hole in the floor of this cave that she couldn’t see and that she would fall into, or maybe there would be.... Well, Janie decided that she would find out.
Carefully inching her way forward in the darkness, she could hear the pounding of the waves much closer. The salty ocean smell was strong, and the air felt thick and clammy on her skin. Onward she inched, but she began to wonder if she should have turned back at the bend, or better yet, if she should have obeyed the signs at the mouth of the cave that warned her of the danger inside! This tunnel was so long and dark!
Just then she thought she saw a little ray of light coming from up ahead. Hopeful, she moved on. To her great relief, she saw that it was gradually getting brighter as she made her way forward. You can imagine her relief as she rounded another bend, and there before her was a large tidal pool lit up by the sunlight that was filtering through a hole just beyond it! She was at the bottom of the cliffs near where the waves came crashing onto the rocks. Looking into the pool, she noticed little sea anemones waving their many arms and many other interesting little creatures. As she watched them, it began to dawn on her that if the tide had not been out, the lovely pool would have been covered with several feet of water! What a thought! What would have happened to her if the waves had been rushing in and out of that dark tunnel? She could have drowned under those waves, and no one would have found her! Janie knew now why the danger signs were plainly posted at the mouth of the cave! Soon the tide would be coming in. She knew that she must head home. She was already late, and her mother would be getting worried. She hated the thought of going up that long, dark, clammy tunnel again, but she had to.
How thankful she was when she reached the top and crawled out under the boards again into daylight and safety!
Janie never forgot that lesson. It never pays to disobey. Disobeying is sin, and in the Bible, God tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). God has given many warnings of the danger ahead to those who follow the slippery path that leads down to hell. There are many who ignore His warnings. But boys and girls, He has not only given us a warning, but also a way of escape from the coming punishment. He gave His own Son to bear that punishment instead of us. The Lord Jesus could say, “I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow Me.” Psalms 69:22I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. (Psalm 69:2). “Thy wrath lieth hard upon Me, and Thou hast afflicted Me with all Thy waves.” Psalms 88:77Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. (Psalm 88:7). “For Thou hadst cast Me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed Me about: all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over Me.” Jonah 2:33For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. (Jonah 2:3). There on the cross of Calvary, God punished the Lord Jesus that we might go free and escape the punishment for our sins. Have you asked the Lord Jesus to come into your heart and be your Saviour? Did He bear your sins when He suffered there on the cross? He has promised, to those who trust Him, that He has “cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:1919He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19). He will never see them nor remember them again.
The day is coming soon, boys and girls, when it will be too late. Then He will say to you, if you did not accept Him as your Saviour, “O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:1818O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: (Isaiah 48:18).
ML-09/13/1981