Hugh Murphy examined the ice on the lake. “Will it hold my truck?” he asked himself. Guessing that the ice was a good eight to ten inches thick, he climbed back into his new four-wheel-drive truck and pulled onto the frozen surface. “This will be the easiest way to search for those heifers,” he told himself. “I can see lots more of the country out here.”
Hugh and his brother Jack owned a large ranch in the Badlands of North Dakota. Hugh had left that morning to look for cattle in one of the back areas of the ranch. It was a cold day late in winter with a temperature of eight degrees below zero and a strong north wind blowing.
“It’s hard to believe that spring is on its way,” thought Hugh as his truck rumbled across the ice. “I’ll be glad to get rid of this snow.”
He drove about five miles over the ice looking for the missing cattle. He would stop to check the hills and canyons with his binoculars. It sure was a lot easier driving on the ice than bouncing along the rutted ranch trails. He thought back to earlier in the day when even his four-wheel-drive truck had gotten stuck in a gully. He had to dig with a pick and shovel to free it before he could go on.
“I’ll just go on down the Short Coulee ridge. If I can’t find those cattle there, then I’ll turn back. They must not be on this side of the ranch,” he decided.
Suddenly, he felt a jolt as the front wheels of his truck broke through a thin spot in the ice. The rear wheels caught and held on the edge of the ice. Acting quickly, Hugh tried to open the door on his side. It wouldn’t budge. He tried the other door, but it also was frozen tight, as were the two sliding windows. There was only one thing left to do if he were going to get out. He had to kick out the windshield of his new truck.
As he frantically kicked at the windshield, the ice broke underneath the rear wheels, and the truck began to sink into the 12-foot-deep lake. Down, down, down it slowly sank, the daylight fading as the murky, icy water covered over the top of the cab. “Will it ever stop sinking?” wondered Hugh. He could hear precious air bubbling out of the cab as the icy water poured in. “Is this the end?” he wondered fearfully.
Hugh Murphy was in a very dangerous spot! He was far away from help on a bitter cold day in a truck that was sinking to the bottom of an icy lake. As bad as Hugh’s situation might seem, there are people all over the world who are in a similar situation, and they don’t even know it! Hugh knew that he was in real trouble. But there are those who are trapped in their sins and on their way to hell, and they have no idea! The Bible describes these people in 2 Corinthians 4:44In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4): “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them.” Yes, Satan is keeping some children and men and women in the dark (blinding their minds) to prevent them from believing the truth—that the Lord Jesus loves them and died for them. Satan is whispering, “Don’t worry about a little lie; you’re not very bad; lots of people are much worse than you are; besides, there is plenty of time.” These are Satan’s lies!
The truth is found in God’s Word, the Bible. It tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23). That means everyone, young or old, is a sinner, and sinners cannot come into God’s presence.
“So what happens to sinners?” you may ask.
The Bible gives us the answer: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15). To be saved from being cast into the lake of fire (hell), we must realize that we are helpless sinners and need to be saved. Then God will show us His love in the gift of His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sinners just like us. On the cross He took all the punishment for the sins of those who would believe in Him. All we have to do is accept this free gift of salvation that God is offering to us, and we will be free of Satan’s blinding power over us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Hugh kicked desperately at the windshield again. As it shattered he took a deep breath of air and squeezed out through the jagged windshield opening. He kicked to the surface, but came up under the ice. Seeing light through the broken ice about five feet away, he swam to it. Surfacing, he gasped for air.
Grasping the edge of the ice, he tried to crawl out on top. His coat kept freezing to the ice. Slowly, he pulled himself up out of the water and crawled away from the hole. Standing up he yelled, “I’m alive!” but then he wondered for how long. He knew he could freeze to death quickly. Even if they missed him at home, nobody had any idea where he was. The only shelter around was a small cabin six or seven miles away where one of the hired men lived. He knew he had to try to reach it.
The wind and cold tore at his body, and his clothes froze. Ice formed in his hair, eyelashes and eyebrows. He tried to walk along the shore of the lake, but found it was too rough to make good progress. Moving to higher ground, he found a trail that led in the direction he wanted to go. For more than an hour he struggled against the wind, freezing cold and deep snow. He had never felt such piercing pain before.
About three miles from the cabin he came to the top of a hill. There the full force of the north wind slammed into him, nearly freezing his bare hands and face. Gradually a numbness crept over him, making it harder to walk. About a mile from the cabin he stumbled and fell into the snow. Straining, he got halfway to his feet, slipped and fell again. He couldn’t move. He relaxed and almost passed out. Then, realizing that if he didn’t get up he would freeze to death right there, he crawled along a few feet. Then stumbling to his feet he tried to walk. His legs and feet just wouldn’t work right. Finally, he could see the cabin in the distance. “If I can just hang on a little longer,” he gasped.
Reaching the cabin, he thumped on the door, but nobody was there. Smoke was still coming from the chimney, so he knew that warmth was just on the other side of the door. He tried to turn the door knob, but couldn’t because his hands were so numb. Finally it opened, and he fell into the warm cabin. He was safe!
As unbelievable as it may seem, Hugh Murphy had walked nearly seven miles in deep snow, over hilly country, in bitter wind at eight degrees below zero. It had taken over five hours!
Hugh rescued himself, but we know from the Bible that we cannot save ourselves from our sins. Only the Lord Jesus can save us. “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). Many people are trying to work their way to heaven. They are trying to do things they think might help and hope they will get there. There was only one Person who had a perfect life in this world, and that was God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone else has “come short” (sinned and made mistakes). Why continue trying your own ideas when God says they won’t work? The Lord Jesus is the only answer, and He is waiting to save you if you will just ask Him.
ML-04/24/1983