Frequently parts of southern France see great floods. The frightful torrents sweep away everything they find in their path: trees, houses and even entire villages. They come so suddenly that many of those who live in such places are carried without warning to their death.
Near Toulouse, some time ago, a mother with her two innocent children found themselves suddenly caught in the midst of the raging waters. Well knowing their danger, the poor woman searched in vain for some means of rescue. But seeing that there was little hope for her, she dedicated all her energies to protecting the lives of her two children.
She could find no other way than to securely tie them to a board and leave them to the current, trusting the goodness of the Lord to save them. She placed the children on this small ark and released it with a fervent prayer, resigning herself to her own death.
The furious current swept the fragile little lifeboat quickly downstream, but only, to the horror of the mother, to hurl it against the trunk of a tree with such force that the plank shattered. With a superhuman energy the mother managed to reach the tree and, clinging to one of its branches, managed to rescue her two tender children from death.
A feeble ray of hope cheered her: if only the tree, which was now also being swept along by the wild current, could support them they might survive. But soon that hope faded and the tree rolled and its branches creaked – they could not support the weight of the three of them.
But the mother’s love would not allow her to waver. She tied the little ones to the smaller branches and, entrusting them to the One who orders the waves and the winds, she threw herself into the current and soon drowned.
When the waters receded the two children were found safe and sound still tied to the tree.
Oh, the great and wonderful love of a mother! Does not such selflessness move our hearts? Has there ever been a deeper love?
Yes, there is: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you,” says the Lord in Isaiah 49:15 (NKJV).
Yes, there is a love greater than a mother’s. She may give her life for her children, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave His life for miserable sinners who forgot Him and pursued Him to a shameful death. “When we were still without strength (defenseless), in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6).
“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us … When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:8,10).
God is good and merciful, and He still loves sinners. He loves you, friend. Trust yourself to the love of Christ. Come to Him just as you are. Be a sharer in this love that was sealed with the blood Jesus shed for sinners. Tell Him right now that you believe that He died for you, guilty and unworthy though you are. Receive Jesus Christ! We can tell you how.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (Jn. 1:12).
A version of this article is available from us as a tract – but in Spanish only. Ask for Spanish tract #113.