In World War I an army officer had a faithful dog whom he called Stief. The officer was wounded during one of the battles. At the time, Stief was tied up behind the lines. Sensing his master’s danger, Stief chewed through his leash, dashed through deadly fire to his master’s side, got a firm grip on his clothing, and pulled him to safety. As he tugged and pulled, bullets wounded him in the shoulder and leg. Both he and his master lived. What a brave and faithful friend Stief was!
Boys and girls also are wounded —by sin and by Satan’s arrows on the battlefield of life. We would all have died in our sins had it not been for the faithful love of One who knew our danger and came to rescue us. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, laid aside His glory and came down into this world to save sinners. He took our place on the cross and died in our stead.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6). He is the wonderful Saviour of all who put their trust in Him.
What would you think if Stief’s master had said to his dog, “Go away—I don’t want you. Leave me alone. I’m all right.” You can’t imagine him saying that, can you? Yet that is just what many boys and girls, and older folks, too, are saying to the Lord Jesus who came to save them. They would rather go on in their sins and not think about the awful danger ahead, than have Jesus save them. Is that what you are thinking? It is a serious thing to live without Christ, but far worse to die without Him and to be lost forever in the lake of fire (hell).
Just as Stief dragged his master to a place of safety, the Lord Jesus puts all those who trust in Him in a place of safety, too. Even now they are under the shelter of His precious blood. The punishment of God against sin can never touch them there. And before that judgment falls on this Christ-hating world, the Lord Jesus is coming to take His own children home to heaven.
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