The news recently told of an Australian sailor, Timothy Shaddock, who, with his dog Bella, spent 3 months floating in the Pacific Ocean off of Mexico. He had set sail from La Paz, Mexico, but ran into bad weather. His boat crippled, he drifted out of the Sea of Cortez into the Pacific. Three months later they were finally rescued when a tuna boat’s helicopter spotted them 1200 miles from land.
We love to hear stories like this, of people who have drifted out to sea and survived. Sometimes it happens due to bad weather or an engine malfunction. At other times it’s just that the person wasn’t paying attention to the tides or the weather and got swept out to sea.
This is often what happens to us as Christians. The apostle Paul warned that “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 2:1 NIV).
We get so busy with our daily lives, just making a living, putting one foot in front of the other, we stop paying attention to what really matters, things like spending time with God and studying His Word. Before we know it we’ve drifted away from Him and the Truth and aren’t sure how to find our way back.
Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t drift through life, without purpose or direction, “carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” (Hebrews 13:9). Anchor yourself to the Rock, Christ Jesus. Study His Word everyday, reviewing the truths you have learned and discovering new depths of His love for you. Spend time talking with Him and seeking His direction for your life. If you do this you will never drift away from His sight, but will alway stay safely in the Harbor of His love.