"Life Line"

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."  Luke 19:10

This morning another song was on my heart when I woke up.  I haven't heard this song since I was a little girl.  ("Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!  Someone is drifting away; Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is sinking today.")  As I was singing it to myself an incident that involved my husband, which happened around thirty years ago, came to mind. 

My husband and a friend had taken our boat out to a public lake.  The boat motor was having some problems so they took it to the lake in order to put it in the water to see if they could fix the problem and get it to crank.  While working on the motor, they heard a commotion.  An old man had fallen out of his boat into the water.  It was obvious the man was in trouble.  My husband and his friend tried and tried to get the motor to start so that they could get out to the man-- but it wouldn't.  The saddest part was that there was another boat that went right past the man but would not help him.  They got within "reach" of him and turned around.  Sadly, the man drowned.  Later, my husband had to go with the game warden and help retrieve the body. 

The reason this song and this incident came to me, I believe, is because we are to be "throwing out a life line" to people who are drowning spiritually.  Like another old hymn says, we are to "rescue the perishing".  There were two responses that day on the lake to the man who was drowning.  1)  Two men who cared and would have helped save him, but were unable to do so because they lacked what they needed.  2)  People who could have saved him, were equipped to do so, but just either didn't care, didn't want to be bothered, or didn't want to make the effort. 

Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost.  He died on the cross to make salvation possible.  He commissioned us to reach the lost and take them the "life line" that would save their souls-- the gospel.  How many of us are "throwing out the life line"?  How many of us want to, we know people who are lost, but we for some reason we aren't able?  Maybe we aren't equipped?  Maybe we are letting fear stop us, or something else?  How many of us know those we come in contact with who are lost, but aren't willing to do anything to reach them?  Maybe we don't want to get out of our comfort zone?  Maybe we think someone else will do it?  Maybe we just don't care that they are drowning/dying?  Which one are you?

Have a great day.  Are you throwing out the life line?  

Throw out the life line across the dark wave;
There is a brother whom someone should save;
Somebody's brother! O who then will dare
To throw out the life line, his peril to share?

 

Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is drifting away;
Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is sinking today.

 

Throw out the life line with hand quick and strong:
Why do you tarry, why linger so long?
See! he is sinking; oh, hasten today
And out with the life boat! away, then away!

 

Throw out the life line to danger fraught men,
Sinking in anguish where you've never been;
Winds of temptation and billows of woe
Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow.

 

Soon will the season of rescue be o'er,
Soon will they drift to eternity's shore;
Haste, then, my brother, no time for delay,
But throw out the life line and save them today.

 

This is the life line, oh, tempest tossed men;
Baffled by waves of temptation and sin;
Wild winds of passion, your strength cannot brave,
But Jesus is mighty, and Jesus can save.

 

Jesus is able! To you who are driv'n,
Farther and farther from God and from Heav'n;
Helpless and hopeless, o'erwhelmed by the wave;
We throw out the life line, 'tis 'Jesus can save.'

 

This is the life line, oh, grasp it today!
See, you are recklessly drifting away;
Voices in warning, shout over the wave,
O grasp the strong life line, for Jesus can save.