Saturday, May 3, 2014
By: Gwen Hitt
Be the Life Jacket
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.
As I was reading yesterday's devotion about the importance of having a rescue mission in place at all times, I was reminded of something that I had read about a passenger on the Titanic. Although John Harper, a Baptist minister from England, perished in the Titanic disaster, his impact on others in the last moments of his life is still remembered today.
After ensuring that his young daughter safely boarded a lifeboat, John Harper put his rescue mission in place. His plan of action consisted of a single step - but one that had eternal ramifications. He preached the Gospel to the end to his fellow passengers who were forced to jump into the frigid waters of the Atlantic.
It is reported that John Harper gave his life jacket to a young man who answered NO to the question, "Are you saved?" John Harper's response to this young man was, "You need this more than I do!" He then swam away from the young man to ensure that others also had an opportunity to accept Christ if they had not previously made this crucial decision.
Of the 1528 passengers that jumped or fell into the icy water that night, only six were rescued. Interestingly, the young man who initially responded NO to John Harper's question was one of the six. Four years later at a survivors' meeting, this young man tearfully shared how John Harper had led him to Christ.
My challenge to you is the same as it was yesterday ... to always be aware of your rescue mission. Know that you may be the life jacket that those who are drowning in their circumstances desperately need to bring them to the knowledge of Christ.
Dear Lord, Help me to seize all opportunities that come my way to share what You have done in my life ... what You desire to do in their lives. Let the words that they hear from my mouth as well as the manner in which I live my life attract them to You.
I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.
Reflection: Are you reaching out to bring others to Him?
