Are You Frozen?

Mike Johnson

Consider a story that I have had for many years in my files.  I do not know the author’s name, but the message is evident.  The story is called “Waiting Too Long.”

Once, a man standing by Niagara saw an eagle sitting on a lamb frozen in a piece of ice.  The eagle was feasting upon the carcass as it drifted towards the rapids.  Now and then, the eagle proudly lifted his head to look around as if to say, “I’m drifting toward danger, but I know what I am doing.  I will fly away and escape before it is too late.”  With great interest, the man watched the piece of ice and its strange cargo drift nearer the awful roar of the falls. 

At last, the eagle stopped and spread his mighty wings and leaped for flight.  But alas, while he had been feasting on the carcass, his feet had frozen to the fleece.  He jumped and shrieked in vain.  Together, the frozen lamb and the eagle went over the falls into the darkness of death.

Many people today are like the eagle of our story.   They feast on sin, intending to obey God at some point.  However, like the eagle, they do so at their peril.  Consider some critical factors.

To begin with, we need to recognize that delay is rebellion against God.  If a mother told her son to do something, and the child said, “Not now, I will do it tomorrow,” would she be pleased?  The answer, of course, is “no.” That child would be rebellious and would be displeasing to his mother.  Do we want, at any point, to be in a state where God would regard us as rebellious?  II Corinthians 6:2 says today is the day of salvation.  On one occasion, Paul preached to Felix (Acts 24:25) about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.  Sadly, instead of obeying, he delayed and said, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”

Also, delay is dangerous.  First, life on earth is short at the longest.  In Psalm 90:9, the writer refers to life as a “sigh” (NKJV), and in James 4:14, it is called a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Second, we can die at any time while we are in rebellion against God.  Third, we do not know when Christ will return.  The Bible teaches that Christ will return unexpectedly as a thief in the night (I Thess. 5:2).  If we could know exactly how long we will live, deferring obedience would still be dangerous.

The “falls” are ahead for every person.  We may come to them a lot quicker than we think.  We need to be like the psalmist who said in Psalm 119:60, “I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments.” Remember, delayed obedience is disobedience!