There was a boy who loved the Word of God very much. He was accustomed to go by himself to read the Bible, and often would go down on the seashore for this purpose.
The neighboring boys would often make fun of him for this, and try to stop him, but he did not mind them, and kept on reading and enjoying the precious book.
One day, when they disturbed him more than usual, he got into a boat that was lying fastened to the shore, and went on with his reading. Now the boys, thinking they would have some sport, unfastened the rope of the boat, and let it go. Away it floated off in the tide, from the land, and before the little boy noticed, he was away out on the ocean. Was not that a condition of danger for the little fellow?
When he saw how it was, he began to use what means he had to get to shore, but it did no good. Away he floated out to sea, a helpless one, and night coming on, with all the dangers of storms and tossing waves before him, and possible starvation, too. But he was the Lord’s and he knew that He was near, and saw him in his loneless. And the Lord was preparing a way for his deliverance, in due time. But for the present he must know what it is to have faith in God. And besides, God meant to show the manner of His kindness, in the midst of the greatest danger. After all the efforts that the boy made were found to be in vain, at last, wearied out with watching for a vessel, the child fell asleep.
Just think, out alone upon the ocear in a small boat, in the night, floating this way and that, and fast asleep. Yes, and it was by this sleep that God preserved him alive, and from anxiety, that he might not be able to know how badly off he was. Some have become insane by such things. But he was thus kept on through the night and day, too, while from a far-off distance a vessel was moving through the water towards him.
The captain looking out ahead saw something like a speck on the waves, away off in the long distance. Then taking a look through his glass, he thought it must be a little rowboat, that had got adrift from some vessel. So he turned the vessel toward it, lest there might be somebody in it. At last he came up to it, and saw that it really was a boat, and that some one was in it, lying on the bottom, but whether dead or asleep, he could not tell. He made a noise so as to rouse him. He threw something into the boat to startle him, and had the joy of waking up a boy, and the very boy of our story. He then took him and his boat into his vessel, and thus, as ‘the messenger that God sent, delivered him from death. The dear child had not really known the danger he was in for many hours, and though hungry, was refreshed in mind and body by the sleep. This was God’s way of keeping him, till deliverance should come.
Everywhere God is showing His kindness in these ways. But it reminds me of that One who came to deliver us, poor lost sinners, down here, floating along in sin and ruin, not knowing how lost our condition was. Well, Christ knew, and came to save us. Will you allow Him to take you up, as the captain did this boy? He will become the Captain of your salvation.
ML 03/25/1945