The H.M.S. Titanic that hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912.
It was a beautiful spring day when the “unsinkable” new ship, the H.M.S. Titanic, set sail for America in 1912. Traveling on this newest “wonder of the world” was quite a status symbol for the many wealthy passengers who had bought 1st class tickets for this maiden voyage.
Naturally, they wanted their loved ones to celebrate their good fortune with them.
On board the Titanic was a fairly new invention, “Wireless Telegraphy,” which seemed to offer the perfect way to do this.
Hundreds of such messages were composed by happy passengers and submitted to the “wireless operator” of the Titanic, a young man named Jack Phillips. Jack was eager to participate in this money-making venture. Hour after hour on the night of April 14th, he tapped out these telegrams from the piles stacked before him…but he kept getting interrupted!
Some other nameless radio operator out in the North Atlantic kept sending urgent messages to the Titanic, causing Jack to have to interrupt his own lucrative efforts in order to receive each new transmission. At last, in frustration, Jack Phillips acknowledged the radio operator of the “Californian” who had been repeatedly warning of icebergs spotted in the path of the Titanic. These are the 6 words of response Jack sent out that fateful night: “Shut up! Shut up! I’m busy!”
Like passengers aboard the Titanic, many of us are comfortably steaming through life, oblivious to the mortal danger just up ahead! Some of us even resemble eager young Jack Phillips; ambitious, dedicated and hardworking, but choosing to ignore the warnings sent to us repeatedly by a caring God who does not want us to perish in eternity. By ignoring the warnings that God is sending us, we are essentially responding to the Lord in the same way Jack Phillips did the night the Titanic sunk: “Shut up! Shut up! I’m busy!”
My dear friend, I submit to you that if we continue in this neglect, we will suffer the same fate Jack Phillips did. The Bible says:
“For how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?!” (Heb. 2:3).
The warning that God is sending us is found in the book of I John, chapter 5, verse 11:
“He who has the Son, has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Do you “have” the Son of God? It is not an accident that you are reading this little article today.
I believe it is the mercy of God that is even now inviting you to turn the ship of your soul around and head for safe harbor in the mercy of God. Consider how joyfully history could have been written if 6 different words had been sent out that fateful night…
“Message received. Course changed. Clear sailing.”
Consider how joyfully your life history can still be written if you learn how to send that message to God!