Courtesy of Alexandre Brondino (Unsplash)
Courtesy of Paola Ocaranza (Unsplash)
Courtesy of Flavio Gasperini (Unsplash)
Every year thousands of gray whales make the long journey from the coast of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico to the rich feeding areas in the waters around Alaska. A gray whale was making this migration when it swam into lines that were attached to crab pots and buoys which were both long and strong. The whale tried to escape the lines by rolling in the water, but its rolling only made the tangled mess of lines around its body tighter.
The tangled lines made it impossible for the whale to find food, because when it tried to swim, it had to drag the buoys and crab pots along with it. The continual dragging of buoys and crab pots sapped the whale’s strength, and the chaffing of the lines cut deep gashes into the whale’s body. Every year some of these wonderful animals get caught in crab lines or fishermen's nets and, sadly, they usually end up dying. Would this whale be one of them?
The whale tried the only thing it knew to free itself - by rolling in the water - but that did not free it; it only made matters worse. Any one of us who tries to free ourselves from our sins are just as unsuccessful. It is impossible for us to cut away those tangles and knots of sin. No amount of obeying laws, good works or self-improvement could ever set us sinners free. We need the freedom only the LORD JESUS can provide. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that CHRIST JESUS came into the world to save sinners” By the grace of GOD, the LORD JESUS HIMSELF offers to set us free from our sins—if we are willing.
Back to the story of the whale - a fishing boat's crew were cruising several miles off the southern coast of California when they spotted the distressed whale. As the boat moved closer, the crew could see that the magnificent creature was tangled and trapped in the lines. They felt sorry for it and decided to show kindness to the helpless creature by cutting it free. The crew lashed sharp knives onto strong bamboo poles, which they had onboard. Slowly and carefully they positioned their boat alongside the huge animal.
The whale stopped its slow swimming and let the boat pull alongside. Even though it was an untamed creature, it seemed to sense the fishermen were trying to help it. Several of the crew leaned over the side of the boat and, very carefully, began cutting away the lines. About an hour later when the last line was cut, the now free gray whale slowly swam in a circle around the boat, as if to say, “Thank you,” before swimming out into the freedom of the ocean.
What a sense of relief this giant, intelligent animal must have felt when it was set free! Have you and I felt the great relief that comes from being set free from our sins by the LORD JESUS? The Bible offers this wonderful relief for any sinner still trapped in their sins when it says, "....if the SON makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” As sinners we need to be set free, because all of us have become entangled in the lines of our sins. There are no exceptions: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
When we sin, it is as if a rope connected to the weights of guilt and shame gets wrapped around our hearts and acts as a drag on our lives. It blights our joys, wrecks our peace, and wounds us in the depths of our souls. And what cruel wounds those cords cause! Sin is nobody’s friend and causes shame and misery in this life, and eternal sorrow and agony in the life to come.
The LORD JESUS is able to cut away the cords of sin from the human heart, because HE went to the cross and bore the punishment for sin’s awful shame. How wonderful it was that the LORD JESUS, the very CREATOR of the universe, would come and die in the sinner’s place! On the cross, HE finished what was necessary that all who trust in HIM might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. That is why "HE was wounded for our transgressions, HE was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon HIM, and by HIS stripes we are healed."
The fishermen cut the gray whale free from the lines that held it and gave back its freedom of the ocean. We, too, need to be set free from the cords of our sins by the LORD JESUS CHRIST in order to be saved for a future, happy life in heaven. If we will take the LORD JESUS as your very own SAVIOUR today, we will thank and praise HIM for the rest of our days and we will also have the promise of a home with HIM in heaven!
Written by Messages with Meaning for Your54Today
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