Page 8 - Good News October 2009 paper

THERE IS NO ESCAPE

few years ago a severe storm are going through just that kind of
swept down upon the southern experience time and time again. This
Asection of Minnesota. Not that comes about through neglect, neglecting
storms are unusual in Minnesota, but is to accept God’s way.
was the time at which the storm came that There is coming a day when the storm of
made it unforgettable. God’s judgment shall break. There is no
Everyone was enjoying the beautiful, need, however, to find ourselves groping in
unseasonable warm autumn weather. the darkness of doubt and fear. Man knows
Some homes were carelessly neglected - that after life comes death - and with death
no fuel supplies were stored away - no comes eternal punishment. OR if we do not
storm windows had as yet replaced the neglect our soul’s welfare but prepare now
summertime screens. Everyone knew that to meet our God, we have the assurance of
winter was approaching, but the weather life everlasting with Him in glory! God has
was so nice. warned us: “How shall we escape, if we
Then, one day, the fine weather ended. The neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).
storm broke, and how unexpectedly it Christ said, “I am the light of the world.” He
came! Electric wires were broken down, will be our Guide through this storm-filled
store windows were broken out, water life. No need either to starve spiritually.
pipes froze and burst. Homes were put Jesus is the Bread of Life. How good God
into complete darkness, many were is! Consider the provision He has made. Yet
without food. Some, who were out in the man, in his smallness and unapprecia-
open, were lost and froze to death because tiveness, goes on neglecting - neglecting -
they had no light to guide them to safety, and when the storms of life come, finds
although perhaps it might have been near himself totally unprepared.
at hand. How can we neglect so great salvation?
Spiritually speaking, there are many who - Selected

here is a story of a man who tried to weigh a departed.
prayer. He owned a little grocery store. It was Thereafter, the store was empty of
Tthe week before Christmas, shortly after customers, and the grocer
World War I. examined the scales. Yes, they
A tired-looking woman came into the store and were broken and they had
asked for enough food to make a Christmas dinner become broken just in time for
for the children. The grocer asked her how much God to answer the prayer of the
she could spend. woman. But as the years passed,
“My husband did not come back; he was killed in the grocer often wondered about
the War. And I have nothing to offer but a little the incident. Why did the woman
prayer,” she answered. come at just the right time? Why
The storekeeper was not very sentimental nor had she already written the prayer
religious, so he said, half mockingly, “Write it on in such a way as to confuse the
paper, and I will weigh it.” grocer so that he did not examine
To his surprise, the woman took a piece of paper the scales?
from her pocket and handed it to the man, saying, “I The grocer is an old man now, but
wrote it during the night while watching over my the weight of the paper still
sick baby.” lingers with him. He never saw the
The grocer took the piece of paper before he could woman again, nor had he seen her
recover from his surprise and, because other before that day. Yet he remembers
customers were watching and had heard his her more than any of his cus-
remarks, he placed the unread prayer on the weight tomers. And he treasures the slip
side of the old-fashioned scales. Then he began to of paper upon which the woman's
pile food on the other side; but to his amazement, prayer had been written - simple
the scale would not go down. words, but from a heart of faith,
He became angry and flustered and finally said, “Please, Lord, give us this day our
“Well, that’s all the scale will hold. Here’s a bag; you daily bread.” - Selected
will have to put it in yourself, I am busy.”
With trembling hands the woman filled the bag, and
through moist eyes expressed her gratitude and