"Vancouver, this is it! This is it!" These were David Johnston's last known words. Mount St. Helens had erupted with the worst volcanic explosion in American history. Now David was listed among the missing.
As a field volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, David was stationed at a monitoring site along with a National Geographic Society photographer. Their camp was about 5,000 feet up the side of Mount St. Helens and only 7 miles from the center of the blast.
David had told his friends, "I'm sitting on a powder-keg, but nobody knows how long the fuse is." He told his parents, "I'm convinced that it will erupt."To soothe their worries he said, "Oh, the volcano will give a warning before it erupts—enough time to evacuate the danger area." Helicopters were on stand-by at Vancouver, ready to come in to pick him and his fellow-worker up.
But there was no warning! In addition, the explosion occurred on the side of the mountain near the camp instead of at the top! David grabbed his radio and called the Vancouver rescue station. "Vancouver, this is it! This is it!" Only silence followed. Too late! A wall of suffocating heat and gas swept toward the two men. Their camp was wiped out. All the trees were flattened. Their trailer was demolished. The searchers couldn't even find the two men under the layers of ash.
But remember, reader, you too are sitting on "a powder-keg, and no one knows how long the fuse is." God says, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Pet. 3:1010But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10). Doesn't this remind you of that terrible volcanic eruption? Just as certainly as Mount St. Helens blasted itself to pieces, this world is doomed to utter destruction. And it is all because of the sin of man.
Remember, "a thief in the night" gives no warning! David Johnston thought there would be a warning, a chance for escape. But there was no warning, and now he is dead. Don't be like David. "Flee from the wrath to come!" Matt. 3:77But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7).
God has provided a way of escape from the coming judgment. "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). Do not put off the salvation of your never-dying soul! Tomorrow may be too late! Be saved today!