Weekend Words

 From Beside the Still Waters...

The Drift of the Boat - Read: Judges 2

"Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard." - Colossians 1:23

It was a beautiful crisp autumn day, and we had the canyon lake to ourselves.  My friend's small fishing boat was powered by an outboard motor, recently repaired, which worked fairly well.  However, the motor still needed some tuning, and there was not always a suitable place to pull up on shore.  So at times we simply shut off the outboard and made engine adjustments where we were.

With no power and no anchor, we began to drift.  The ripples seemed to indicate that we were coasting in the desired direction.  However, an unhurried glance at the surrounding cliffs made things clear - we were gliding towards unseen danger.  Just under the water's surface near those cliffs lurked enormous, sharp boulders.  The breeze carried our little craft towards them at a surprising speed!  Had we not utilized the oars from time to time, we could have easily hit a submerged rock and damaged the boat.

Drifting is easy.  Our society even glamourizes it.  "Live for the moment!" proclaims a soft-drink billboard, with a photo of apparently happy, carefree youths.  But a lifestyle of drift eventually wrecks unsuspecting people on the rocks of sin.  The damage may not be apparent right away, but sooner or later the "boat" begins to leak as heartache, emptiness, and disillusionment flow in to displace the initial enjoyment.

When God calls us to follow a certain course, we must do so "in the power of his might" (Ephesians 6:10).  When He calls us to wait, "we have ... an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19).  Let us beware lest we drift away from God as Israel did in today's Bible reading, heedless before the winds of an idolatrous world!

Benjamin Jones - Farmington, NM

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life? 

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife;

when the strong tides lift and the cables strain?

Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul 

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love!

The Oncoming Storm - Read: Luke 21:10-38

"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." - Daniel 11:32

We live in a place where we can look across a broad landscape.  Usually storms come from the northwest.  The sky will become a dark blue.  As the storm nears, the sky turns black and we can see angry clouds rolling as they make their way towards us.  We say a prayer asking that nothing be damaged.  The wind picks up, things blow around, and then the rain starts falling in sheets.  We run inside for safety and shelter.

We are living in days when it appears that there are storms on the horizon.  As the devil makes a strong push in these end times, and good is called evil and evil is called good, the tranquility we have known may be thrown into turmoil.  But we do not need to be fearful if God is our refuge.

The Lord promises to never leave us nor forsake us.  But these are days to prepare.  These are days to get better acquainted with our God.  These are not days to act as if everything will continue as before, and we can be careless about life.  Now is the time to tuck away Bible verses in our heart.  There is no time to lose in getting spiritual exercise to build ourselves up in our most holy faith.  Let us use these days of opportunity to stir one another to love and good works.

May our biblical convictions grow stronger so we are vessels "sanctified, and meet for the master's use" (2 Timothy 2:21).  Signs of the times are everywhere.  Wake up, O church! Our Lord needs dependable people who will not falter in fear as the storm rolls near.

Kenneth Nolt - New Holland, PA

Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. - Deuteronomy 31:6