Devotions

The Train

There was once a bridge that spanned a large river. During
most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up
and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing
ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge.
But at certain times each day, a train would come along
and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river,
allowing the train to cross it.

A switchman sat in a shack on one side of the river where
he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into
place as the train crossed.

One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last
train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance
through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train
lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the
train was within a prescribed distance when he was about
to turn the bridge.

He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he
found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was
not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump
the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a
passenger train with MANY people aboard.

He left the bridge turned across the river and hurried
across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there
was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock
manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as
the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train
now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to
apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying
the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives
depended on this man's strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his
control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.

"Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was
crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was
to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too
close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge
in time. The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son
and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not
get back to the lever in time if he saved his son. Either
many people on the train -- or his own son -- must die.

He took but a moment to make his decision. The train
sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was
even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly
into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware
of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the
locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not
see him walking home more slowly than he had ever
walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through
this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings
of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to
bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be
any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the
skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel
when we speed along through life without giving a
thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?

When was the last time you thanked God for the
sacrifice of His Son? Remember this as we approach Easter
and comprehend what God did for us through his son Jesus Christ.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16


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	Our God is a mighty God and we want to share this with everyone. We hope these devotions inspirer you, encourage you, challenge you, make you think and help you grow. But most of all we hope you learn more about God and how he is working. It you have a devotion you would like to share with others, please e-mail it to: clubheaven@hotmail.com Share with others what God is doing in your life.	The Train There was once a bridge that spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing the train to cross it. A switchman sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was about to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with MANY people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. "Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son. Either many people on the train -- or his own son -- must die. He took but a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died. Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ? When was the last time you thanked God for the sacrifice of His Son? Remember this as we approach Easter and comprehend what God did for us through his son Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16



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