A Ship In Trouble

By Harold Smith

It was a terrible night, boys and girls, off the coast of Newfoundland. A small ship had been out fishing with eight men aboard, and they were driven ashore on a rocky beach. They were stranded there, and the waves and surf were rolling and crashing the ship to pieces. It looked like the situation was hopeless. These eight poor fisherman were crying for help, but no boat could get off to help them in those angry waves. Just then, a man came strolling along the beach with his big Newfoundland dog. Seeing the sailor's distress and seeing that nobody could help them, the man thought of a plan. He put a short stick in the dog's mouth and tied a roap to that stick. Then he talked to the dog a little bit, and the dog seemed to understand what it was all about! The dog plunged into the water and started to make his way out to the boat to deliver that stick to the men on the ship. That would get a line from the boat to the shore. However, the dog couldn't get close enough so the crew, seeing what the man was trying to do, tied another roap on another piece of stick and threw it out to the dog. The dog grabbed that stick and knew what to do. He dragged it back to his master on the land. Then his master hooked a little lifeboat on the end of the roap. The crew hauled in the lifeboat, and those eight men, happy as they could be, were saved - all because of a brave Newfoundland dog. That's a good story, isn't it boys and girls? But you know, there are a lot of boys and girls who are out in the storm called the "storm of life". The waves are beating against them and troubles are coming. They too are like those eight sailors there on the rocks, perishing. Unless somebody gets a lifeline out to them, they'll be lost forever. Those eight men would've never had a chance without that brave dog who was willing to battle the angry sea to take a line out to them. Boys and girls, the Savior came from Heaven to earth to battle life's seas in order to die for me and you that we might be saved. Others are seeking to throw out the lifeline - the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. If those sailors had never laid hold of that stick and never gotten that line of communication with shore, they would've perished. If you just stay in the ship, boys and girls, living in your sin without realizing you need to be saved, you'll go down with the ship and you'll be lost forever. Do trust the Lord Jesus! He loves you, He died for you, and He wants to save you! Trust Him and be Saved. You'll be glad you did!