Harvey dashed off down the narrow path through the woods on his way to school, but even as he ran he heard his mother’s voice calling out, “Remember, son, be sure to stay on the path because the woods are very muddy today.”
Harvey liked school and most of all he loved his teacher. He wanted to do something extra special for her some day, and as he walked along and glanced around he thought, “What could I do for her?”
Just then he saw a sight that made him stare in wide-eyed wonder. There before his very eyes, near the swamp, was a patch of the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen in his whole life. There were purple violets, and training arbutus with their fragrant pink petals, and fully a dozen other kinds of flowers simply too beautiful to describe. “My, how pleased my teacher would be with such a gorgeous bouquet!” thought Harvey.
Forgetting his mother’s warning, he quickly dropped his books and rushed forward to pick some of those lovely flowers.
Alas! Hardly had he begun when he felt his feet begin to sink in the mud and suddenly he realized he was sinking into a pit of quicksand. The more he squirmed, the deeper he sank.
At first he went in up to his ankles, then slowly up to his knees. He began to call for help. Wasn’t there someone who would find him?
“I’ll die in this quicksand,” the poor boy thought. “Oh how I wish I had obeyed Mother! This is awful.” Louder and louder he tried to call, but his voice didn’t seem to carry well.
At last, after what seemed like hours to the despairing lad, along came Bill Phillips, a Christian boy, on his way to school. Bill heard Harvey’s cries and rushed to the rescue. With the help of a stout tree limb and his belt, through the Lord’s mercies, he pulled Harvey out of the quicksand.
The very next Sunday the preacher spoke of how sin is like the quicksand. He said: “At first we are tempted to disobey our parents, to lie and to steal. But soon sin in us gets stronger and stronger, and like the quicksand it will pull us down to death and hell. But the Lord Jesus came to save us from the quicksand of sin. Call on Him and He will save you. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’" Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13).
That afternoon Bill came to visit Harvey. “How did you like the preacher’s gospel message?” he asked.
“It sure reminded me of last Fray,” replied Harvey. “If sin is like the quicksand slowly pulling us down to Satan’s pit, I want to get out of it,” he added.
Bill then read a verse from the Bible: “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Psalms 40:22He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (Psalm 40:2).
Then he added: “The Lord Jesus will take you out of the pit of sin, Harvey, if you will just cry to Him.” Harvey was only too willing.
Together the boys knelt down and Bill asked the Lord for Harvey’s salvation. Harvey also prayed, asking the Lord to save him, and before they got up off their knees he knew the Lord had answered him. He felt sure and safe. A feeling of peace came over his soul. He knew that he was out of the horrible pit of sin and condemnation and SAFE on the ROCK —the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew that his sins were all forgiven, and that he had eternal life.
Will you not let the Lord Jesus do the same for you, dear reader? His promise is, “For whosoever"—and that means you or me or anyone else—“shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13).
Ambassador Press
ML-03/30/1980