The Orphan Lamb

It was about four o’clock one October morning. I had been sleeping well, but was awakened by the sound of a wind such as I had never heard in my life before. From the rooftop of my house, tiles were being blown about and seemed to make a most frightening noise as they came crashing down on the path below.

For several moments, my wife (who had already been awake for some time) and I, just lay and listened. We wondered whatever the scene would reveal when light came in the morning. I became very concerned about the animals outside. Would any of them have suffered injury or have been killed? All of a sudden I was really troubled by thoughts about our orphan lamb that had recently joined the small flock grazing around our orchard. ‘Poor Freckles,’ I thought.

Suddenly, I felt I must go and rescue him from the orchard. Before my wife could hold me back I had slipped on an old coat. I rushed downstairs, slipped on my boots, and now nothing could stop me from the mission in hand. Once outside, I found it a terrible battle to run to the orchard just a hundred yards or so away. Tiles were being blown down and branches were hurtling along at great speed. I could hardly move along. I just prayed that I would be able to rescue our pet lamb.

Somehow I reached the small paddock, and staggered almost like a drunken man over the gate; opening the gate was impossible. I realised I was in the midst of great danger amidst trees that were being uprooted because they could offer little resistance to such a powerful force as was overthrowing them. In the half-light it seemed a most awesome task to now find Freckles and rescue him from such a terrible scene.

I must have been helped, because in no time I had him securely in my arms and found myself struggling against great odds to carry him to a less dangerous place. It was only a few moments after we had reached a place of comparative shelter, that there was a great thud as two large fir trees fell helplessly to the ground where I had just been. If they had fallen a few moments earlier, I would almost, without doubt, have been killed. How thankful I felt for such protection as God in his mercy had afforded me.

Reflecting upon this incident of some years back still makes me aware of what great kindness God did show to me. I actually risked my life to save a little orphan lamb. How much more wonderful I find it, though, to think about my precious Saviour, even the LORD JESUS. He did not just risk his life to save his people from their sins. He actually gave his life up to a very cruel death on a cross, when he was punished for their sins. He suffered hell when his Father’s face was turned against him, so that those who see their need of forgiveness and pardon, might be delivered from the awfulness of being left for ever, suffering from the wrath of God that must be poured out upon those who die unrepentant. I find it fills me with a sense of great relief to know that when the awful hurricane of God’s displeasure against sin must shortly be revealed, I will be safe in that day. I wonder: are you prepared for that solemn day?