SAVE OUR WHALE

On Tuesday, 31st May, 2011, a 44ft (13m) long sperm whale, weighing over 20 tes, died three hours after becoming stranded on Redcar beach on Teesside, England. It was lost and disorientated, and headed towards the shore where it beached itself shortly before dawn. This was a massive fish. As well as the police, council, fire-fighters and rescue divers, the RSPCA and Coastguard were involved in trying to rescue the fish but it was all in vain.

A spokesman of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, who was called to the stricken creature, said the North Sea was the wrong environment for such a large creature, and any attempt to refloat it - even if it was possible - would have been cruel. While there are whales in the North Sea it is not a suitable environment for a sperm whale because the food supply is not there. If it doesn't eat, it becomes mal-nourished and dehydrated, because whales do not drink - they get their liquid from their food.

Wonderful creatures such as whales are in danger of extinction world-wide. Many people devote much of their time, energy, and money campaigning to save these endangered species. They rightly decry the plundering of our planet.

But what seems to be of much less concern, and certainly not headline material is the sobering truth than men & women themselves need to be saved from lives ruined by sin and selfishness, and need to be reconciled to God. We have wandered far away from the One who created us and loves us so much.

The Bible reminds us that we are not animals. An animal has life and a body, and when it dies the life departs from the body, and that is the end. When all the animals of one species die, the species becomes extinct. In contrast, we are human beings. We too have life in a body, but we have an added dimension which we call the spirit. We have been created to look upwards and to find in God all that we need. We can know Him, love Him, and serve Him. For man, death is not the end but rather a door into another world. There is no extinction. There lies ahead in a great eternity spent either in the joy of heaven or in the torment of hell.

The Lord Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). During His years upon earth many lost souls came to Him and received the gift of eternal life. They will never perish (John 3:16). Neither will any who come to Him in faith today (Acts 16:31). His death for sin and His resurrection from the dead make our salvation possible now.

Many year ago - in fact centuries ago - a rough jailer in the city of Philippi found himself staring death in the face. A mighty earthquake had shaken the prison, causing cell doors to open and setting the prisoners free. Had they escaped the jailer would certainly have paid for this with his life. Having heard the singing of Paul and Silas (and maybe their preaching also) he cried urgently cried out, Sirs, what must do to be saved?. Without a moment's hesitation their stirring reply was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved".

Adapted from a tract "Save the Whale" by C. Logan, and published by John Ritchie Limited, 49 Beansburn, Kilmarnock. KA3 1RH.