What is a lighthouse for? Alice could have told you, since she lived in one off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
It was strong and tall and lonely, out in the wild winds and stormy waves of the North Atlantic Ocean. There were no wires from the mainland to bring electric power, but there was a generator. Alice’s father made sure that the beam of light from the lighthouse was bright and steady from dusk till dawn, even in the worst of weather.
I have seen pretty lighthouses built for decoration, inviting people to come and admire them, but Alice’s home was not like that.
“What is a real lighthouse for, Alice?”
Her answer: “It doesn’t say, ‘Come’; it says, ‘Don’t come!’ I remember the day when my dad saw a ship coming straight for us. It seemed like the captain wanted to visit us, but Dad knew that was not the message of the lighthouse.
“My dad had a big voice. He had shouted above the roar of Atlantic storms ever since he was a young man, so he put a big megaphone to his mouth to make his voice go straight out to sea. I heard him shout with all his might, ‘ROCKS! ROCKS!’ ”
Now, why would the lighthouse keeper want to spoil the captain’s plans? For the same reason we are giving you this paper today. The captain’s ship was headed for disaster on the rocks, and the end of following your own way is death and eternal hell. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). Are you listening?
The captain was listening. He checked his speed at once, but he did not know which way to turn.
“Again my dad’s voice roared through the megaphone, ‘HARD TO STARBOARD!’ ”
And for you who do not know which way to turn, it is not enough to only tell you that you are on your way to a lost eternity, but we want to tell you the way to be saved from disaster. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)). In Him is salvation and eternal life. We don’t shout “Lost!” without telling you of the Saviour of the lost. Are you listening?
The captain listened and obeyed, and the boat changed direction as quickly as it could respond. There was no wreck that day.
Alice said, “Wasn’t it good that my father was watching?”
Yes, it was a life-saver for that crew. It seems they had misunderstood the purpose of the lighthouse.
Perhaps you are missing the purpose of the gospel message and just thinking it is something to entertain you. Not at all. The message of God’s Word is a warning and a new direction, from sin to the Saviour - from a lost eternity to God’s home. Listen and obey. Why should you wreck your life now and forever?
ML-02/20/2000