UPON the banks of the St. John River, East Florida, lived a man earning his living by felling and squaring the giant trees which abound in those parts. One morning he left his humble cabin for his day's work, little dreaming of the terrible times he was about to experience.
Heavy fogs not infrequently cover the district. The Woods, too, present but little variety, and the grass grows so tall that a man of ordinary stature is unable to see over it.
The woodman must, therefore, proceed with caution along the ill-defined path often crossed by other paths. In case of fog, if he would be sure of his way and go along in safety, he must lie down and wait till it has passed away.
A wounded animal on this occasion crossed our friend's track. The morning was foggy, and he unwisely gave chase to it, and in so doing lost his way.
Similarly, but in a far more serious way, a youth entering business for the first time, often loses his path. It may be at some office desk, behind the counter of some store, or at the workshop bench. He emerges from a Christian home, where loving and pious parents have shielded him from temptation, danger, and harm. For fear of being laughed at and called good," he listens to some immoral story, and smiles, as if assenting, when bad or indecent language is being used. This leads to the practice at length of those self-same sins, but already he has lost the track! Oh! beware of the first step out of the right path. Be true to that which the Bible declares is wisdom. (See Prov. 1:7-107The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. (Proverbs 1:7‑10).) Don't be afraid to say "No" to sin. "If sinners entice thee, consent thou not." This is real, manly courage. But this can only be truly done in the strength of Christ, and for that we need to be converted.
Resuming our incident, the fog at length lifted, and the welcome sun was then at its height; but to his intense alarm our friend could recognize nothing. He walked till sunset unrewarded, and slept that night in the open air. Arising the next morning he wandered fruitlessly till night came on again, almost maddened by hunger and thirst. It was no visionary imagination with him; he was really LOST!
According to his reckoning, he wandered thus for forty days, during which period he fed himself on anything he came across. As day succeeded day disappointment succeeded disappointment, and all hopes of recovery were abandoned.
At last he reached the banks of a river, but what a spectacle did he present—his clothes in tatters, his once bright ax all dimmed with rust, his hair matted, his face wan, his frame enfeebled. In short, he was little better than a skeleton with a parchment-like covering. HE WAS HOPELESSLY LOST! And thus he laid himself down to die!
Do you see in this poor man's melancholy condition a picture of yourself? You have wandered far from God in your sin. Those sins of yours have created a distance between you and God. You may possess natural abilities which place you ahead of your fellows, yet by yourself you cannot find the right path, or get back to God. You, TOO, ARE LOST!
These forty days of the woodman's wandering well illustrate the futility of all your efforts to save yourself. You cannot merit the favor of Him against whom you have sinned. Yet we read that "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8.) Ponder these words, dear friend, and you will learn that salvation is not "to him that worketh," but "to him that worketh NOT." (Rom. 4:4, 5.)
But God's pitying eye was on the emaciated and exhausted form upon that river bank, and His providence over-ruled that a boat should come along the river, and weak though he was, the sound of its splashing oars caught his ears. Lifting himself up he gave a loud, shrill scream, partly of joy and partly of fear. Hearing this the rowers paused. This was followed by a more feeble scream. Oh! joy, he is observed. The boat comes! It seems too good to be true. His heart flutters with excitement, his sight is dimmed, his brain reels from its seat, he gasps for breath at such expectations. The boat has run upon the beach, and the lost one is SAVED!
Jesus has come to seek and to save that which was lost. It was no chance that brought Him to this world. Lost you are, my reader, if a stranger to Him. But it is not too late, thank God, for you to be saved. By His sufferings, death and blood-shedding, you may be forgiven. Then why not in repentance turn to Him now, accepting His atoning sufferings as on your account? God has raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and all who believe in Him are justified from all things. (See Acts 13:39.) “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31.)
The woodman's tale is no fiction, but the relation of an actual occurrence. The river where he was found was thirty-eight miles from his hut. He had wandered in a circuitous direction. The providential over-ruling and care of a God of goodness, combined with a strong constitution, enabled him to sustain with fortitude and recover from such protracted privation.
May the same God use the application of the account given to encourage you to seek the salvation of your precious soul.
A. F. M.