Have you ever had a moment when you felt lost, without direction, or puzzled about your purpose? So often, we are all scrambling to fill the hours we spend here on earth with things that have no meaning at all. Even worse, we are trying to fill the empty void in our soul with these hollow pursuits as well. It is a futile attempt that leaves us exhausted and easily dragged into believing all the lies that are out there. Everyone has experienced it to one degree or another. It is much like swimming upstream; arms and legs are thrashing in the water with no forward motion because you are going against the current and are weighed down with all the cares and the ideals of the world. Not only is there no forward motion….you are at risk of drifting backwards or even eventually sinking to the bottom.
During my college years, I had the opportunity to serve each summer at a church camp. One summer they were in need of more life guards so I decided to go through lifeguard training. I thought this would be an easy A kinda class. I was a good swimmer and felt I was fully capable of refereeing a game of sharks and minnows or helping a kid out of the water if they were having trouble. But I learned how important it is to be very knowledgeable about the very serious risks and dangers that can suddenly arise when you are just trying to have fun in the water. That knowledge, when applied, can save you from a disaster. One of the greatest dangers (and this is the lesson our instructor wanted us to give our closest attention) is an undertow that creates a rip current. The rip current creates a fierce flow of water that pulls the swimmer farther out to sea and tenaciously holds you in a pattern of trying to swim back to shore and never making any progress. Most vacationing beach goers don’t know that to get out of a rip current you must swim parallel with the shore until you paddle out of the powerful undertow. Sadly, swimmers often drown because they become exhausted in their efforts when that one little nugget of knowledge would have helped to release the current’s grip.
Sin is like a rip current…a powerful undertow that pulls us away from focusing on God and His truths. His word is our key to knowing how to avoid getting caught in a current of sin, false teachings, and the lies that try to overwhelm us. And listen to me when I say this girl, we don’t just drift toward God; we must seek Him...we must strive towards Him. And in this world in which we live we are swimming against the flow. But knowing God’s word and the truth of Jesus and salvation we can own the skills we need to navigate the murky depths, knowing the truth from falsehood, and make it safely back to shore. He is the Light House in the dark night; our Anchor in rough seas….He is our Life guard and our Rescuer.
“We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away…..” Hebrews 2:1
Oh Lord, I look to You and Your word always and only…paying much closer attention so by Your power I am able to stay anchored in Truth.
