“The Last Day Of My Life”

Good News –June 2015 – Grace & Truth Magazine

“The Last Day Of My Life”

In March 2011 a terrible tsunami devastated the northeast coast of Japan. As the wave approached, 60-year-old Hiromitsu Shinkawa raced into his concrete home for a few belongings. But he had less time than he thought and the sea was stronger than he expected. Within minutes Hiromitsu’s house was broken up. The man found himself flailing underwater before desperately pulling himself up on a piece of his own roof. The water propelled him forward, then it reversed course and sped away from land – finally leaving Hiromitsu adrift on his broken rooftop, alone, ten miles out in the Pacific Ocean.

Many regions of the world experience similar natural disasters. But far more familiar are the calamities of life: health lost, finances upended, family broken, hope gone. Within moments these can transform any ordinary day into an unforeseen tragedy. We find out that we had less time than we thought and the sea of despair is stronger than we expected.

The Bible identifies the source of this despair as the problem of sin. The “sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29 NKJV) has marred God’s creation and propelled mankind away from Him. People honor God with their lips but remain far from Him in their hearts (Mt. 15:8).

Two days after the tsunami, rescuers found Hiromitsu – dehydrated and delirious, but alive. Later he said, “No helicopters or boats that came nearby noticed me. I thought that day was going to be the last day of my life.”

You may also feel abandoned in your gloom. Perhaps no one nearby even notices your misery. But your Rescuer is near! The Savior, Jesus, has overcome the distance caused by sin. He knows what sorrow is, for He Himself has sorrowed. He knows the depths of sin, for He Himself paid sin’s penalty when He died on a cross and accepted God’s judgment on your behalf (1 Pet. 3:18). He knows where you have drifted, and He comes to you at this moment. Trust the risen Savior as your own and accept His tender deliverance from the sea of sin. We can tell you how.

By Stephen Campbell