It was springtime 1918. A Lieuten- ant lay in the hollow badly wounded. He could hear the enemy machine gunners only 10 yards away, trying to get a final killing shot on him. Then a voice whispered next to him, “Don’t worry; it’s only me.” It was his chaplain! Revd Hardy had walked across the battlefield to aid the wounded man despite the bullets and bombs all around him. He gave the Lieutenant food, dressed his wounds, then went back to fetch a stretcher and another bearer, before rescuing the officer from certain death.

You might think the Lieutenant, just yards from enemy guns, would certainly have been killed. But he had a rescuer. Consider the idea that we are all in that position as well. Our attitude towards God has been one of ignoring Him or hating Him, and at best we have only referred to Him as a swear word. The wages of our sin is death according to Romans 6:23.

Yet when Jesus died on the cross, He was taking our punishment upon Himself so that we would not have to face it. He is the ultimate Rescuer. Romans 6:23 continues, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The rescue mission of Revd Hardy for that helpless Lieutenant took bravery and love. So did the rescue mission of Jesus. Will you respond to such love, even today? Will you let Jesus carry you out of the danger zone and into safety?

The bravest rescue mission in history was to rescue you.

Author

Russell Fralick

Topics

Our Daily Bread