THERE was a terrible explosion THERE the coal mine. Some of the miners escaped, but others were buried alive. Nine were missing, among them a young boy named David.
David’s mother was a widow. She had lost her husband and four other sons in a former mine explosion. David, the youngest son, was the only one left and had been the joy and rejoicing of her heart. Now she believed him to be dead also, and great was her grief.
David’s job had been to open and close the trap door at the bottom of the shaft. Much of the time he was sitting in the dark, but he would take out his little light and read his pocket Bible, which was a prize he had received for faithful attendance at Sunday school and for learning scripture verses. The falling coal prevented him from opening the trap door, and he found that every other way was blocked. When he realized he was trapped, he thought of his dear mother and began to weep.
Kneeling down upon the coal he prayed to God to spare him. Then he opened his Bible and with the help of his little light he read the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my Shepherd...”
The air began to get heavy and it was harder to breathe. “Are you afraid to die?” he asked himself. “No, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God is my Saviour and Shepherd” was the answer in his heart. Just a few months before he had learned of his sinful and lost condition before God and had by faith accepted the Lord Jesus as His Saviour, He who had suffered and died in his stead on the cross, had washed his sins away by His precious blood shed on Calvary. (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
As he prayed, the Lord gave quietness and comfort to his young heart. He thought of the love of Jesus and was made sure that He would be with him in the dark valley of death. “He will bring me through” were the words of assurance in his heart. With a piece of sharp coal he wrote in his Bible, “Dear Mother, Jesus is with me” then he lost consciousness.
In the meantime a rescue crew was working hard to clear the coal from the trap door of the shaft. Soon they found the unconscious boy. Carefully they brought him to the surface where his mother was waiting. Oh how great was her joy when he opened his blue eyes. The Lord had spared his life and saved him—all praise to Him.
After this experience David thought to himself, “Why has God preserved my life while others died? It must be that He wants me to be a witness for Him.” Therefore he joyfully confessed the Lord and often spoke to others of His glorious saving gospel. His testimony was also backed up by a faithful walk for the Lord.
He would say to his fellow miners, “You may think you can get along without the Lord Jesus Christ, and you may be able to for a while, but when you are face to face with death you will find out it is another matter. You will need Him then for salvation, peace and comfort. If I had not known the Lord Jesus as my Saviour and Shepherd when I was trapped in the mine, near death, I would have been full of terror and lost.”
Dear young reader, if the Lord Jesus is not yet your Saviour and Shepherd, may dear David’s testimony and experience help you to realize your need of Him too. You cannot get along without Him. Someday you too may be in great danger, someday you too will have to face death. “Prepare to meet thy God.” Amos 4:1212Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. (Amos 4:12).
ML-07/23/1972