Do you listen carefully when someone speaks to you? You should, especially if the person is telling you something that might save your life.
Paul Nordin was only five years old, but he listened carefully to the two visitors who spoke to his kindergarten class at school. It was Fire-Prevention Week, and two firemen from their town were showing the children some of the dangerous things that might be in their homes. These were things like matches, greasy rags, frayed electrical wires and aerosol cans. The firemen showed the children what to do if their clothes caught on fire. They also explained how to crawl close to the floor if they were caught in a smoke-filled room. Yes, Paul listened carefully to the two firemen that day, and it was a good thing he did!
Aren’t we glad that there are firemen, policemen and others who help us and protect us? It is good that they explain to us what to do when there is danger-especially when there are dangers close to us that we don’t know about.
This is why we should also be glad the Bible, God’s Word, is available for us to read. Most of you have at least one Bible in your home. But how many of you have read it? If you haven’t, then you are in great danger, because it tells us something very important.
God tells us in the Bible that we are all sinners. Because we are sinners, we are in terrible danger of having to spend eternity in hell because of our sins. But the Bible also tells us that God loves us and wants us in heaven with Himself. It explains that God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, loves us so much He willingly was nailed to Calvary’s cross. He took the punishment for our sins if we will accept Him as our Saviour.
If any of us were trapped in a burning building and could not get out, would we tell a fireman who came to rescue us to “go away”? No! We would be glad he came and would do exactly what he said and let him lead us out to safety. The Lord Jesus has said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). He is the only “Way” that will lead to safety.
Two weeks after listening to the two firemen, Paul used what he had learned. After getting off the school bus, as he walked to his house he saw smoke coming out. Running inside, he tried to smother the fire with a pillow. But sparks caught his pants on fire, so he dropped the pillow and quickly took his pants off. Then he immediately got down on his hands and knees and crawled out of the smoke-filled house to safety! He was home alone at the time.
Paul’s mother came home just five minutes after he did. She found smoke pouring out of the windows, and when she opened the front door, the house burst into flames! She ran around to the back of the house and found Paul crawling out onto the back porch. When she asked him later how he knew to crawl out using the good air close to the floor, he said the firemen at school had told him how to do it.
The firemen had given Paul the right instructions. But it was just as important that Paul had listened carefully and followed those instructions. The best instructions cannot help us if we do not follow them.
Are you safe?
ML-04/15/2001