Rescued from Rubble

American journalist Frank Thorp was in an area about 6 hours north of Port-au-Prince when the earthquake occurred in Haiti last Tuesday afternoon. He felt the ground shake where he was, but he assumed that it was just a small quake. He soon learned, however, that it was a 7.0-magnitude tremor that caused massive destruction in the Haitian capital – where his wife Jillian was located!

Then Frank received a terrifying ten-second phone call from his wife. She told him that she was trapped beneath the rubble of their home. That was all of the message that she was able to communicate! Frank immediately got into his car to make the journey home as quickly as possible, unsure of the condition of his wife.

When he finally arrived at his home, he discovered that it had collapsed to ground level and his wife was still trapped underneath along with a co-worker. Frank immediately joined some Haitian workers as they tried to dig them out of the rubble. He saw Jillian’s hand and heard her voice telling him to keep it together and get her out.

“We had to pull bricks and bricks and bricks and wood and doors and metal away for at least an hour before we were able to get her and her co-worker out,” he said.

After being trapped beneath the rubble for about 10 hours, Jillian was finally rescued by her loving husband.

This successful rescue in the midst of the current devastation and desperation in Haiti reminds us of another search and rescue mission…

Because of our wrong choices, YOU and I were trapped in the rubble of sin, destined to die!

But God, knowing our plight, sent His son Jesus to save us from sin. His journey was of too great a distance to measure in miles or hours, because He came from heaven to earth, from immortality to mortality, from tranquility to trouble. Please read Philippians 2:5-8.

In order to rescue us from the wreckage of sin, Jesus had to give His life for us. He died as payment for our redemption from sin (Ephesians 1:7). He has promised to redeem those who believe and trust Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).

While WE are pinned under the condemnation of sin, God reaches out His saving hand to us through Jesus.

Won’t YOU take His hand in trusting obedience and be rescued?

David A. Sargent, davidsargent1@comcast.net