What a treat Pat and Artie were having! Vacationing with Grandpa in beautiful Switzerland and Austria, the boys had seen the great glacier which is the source of the mighty Rhone River, and had even gone into an ice cave in the glacier. A highlight of the trip was the train ride up through the Alps to Gornergrat. All the way up in the train, they had glimpses of the breathtaking, majestic mountain peak known as the Matterhorn. To many people this rugged mountain is a symbol of Switzerland.
After arriving at the Gornergrat train station, Grandpa and the boys set off along the rocks of a mountain ridge to get a better view of the Matterhorn and to take some pictures. Grandpa was particular about his photography, and the view that day was certainly worth taking pictures of. While he was getting some pictures Pat and Artie scampered around on the rocks.
Suddenly—unbelievably fast—the Matterhorn disappeared behind clouds, and the sky became overcast. It began to hail, and Grandpa became concerned about their safety.
Just then, Grandpa spotted a place where the rocks jutted out overhead where they could huddle, safe from the worst of the hailstorm. It was windy and cold now that the sun was behind the clouds. Thinking the boys might be hungry, Grandpa remembered something. Fishing around in his jacket pocket, he found a bar of delicious Swiss chocolate which he shared with the two boys. Then, almost as suddenly as it started, the storm let up. They lost no time in making their way back to the Gornegrat train station. How thankful they were to the Lord Jesus for the hiding place they had found in the rock!
Boys and girls, there is a lovely verse in the book of Isaiah in the Bible, chapter 32, verse 2, which says, “And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert [shelter] from the tempest. . . as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Who is that Man? Why it is no one else but the Lord Jesus Christ, our precious Saviour. Yes, as an old hymn tells us, “Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land, A shelter in the time of storm.” When the storm of God’s judgment broke in all its fury on the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary, He had no shelter. But He became a shelter for all who will put their trust in Him. Have you found shelter in Him?
ML-02/05/1984