DRAWING NEAR
December 20
Throwing Out the Anchor
"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we
have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Heb. 2:1).
God's Word is the anchor that will prevent people from drifting past
the harbor of salvation.
While English explorer William Edward Parry and his crew were
exploring the Arctic Ocean, they needed to go further north to
continue their chartings. So they calculated their location by the
stars and began a treacherous march.
After many hours they stopped, exhausted. After taking their
bearings, they discovered they were now further south than when they
started! They had been walking on an ice floe that was traveling
faster south than they were walking north.
That is similar to the situation people who continue rejecting Christ
find themselves in. Therefore Hebrews 2:1 says, "We must pay closer
attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."
Why would anyone knowingly reject Christ? He came into the world as
God incarnate, died on a cross to forgive our sins, paid our penalty,
showed us divine love, and gives us blessing and joy beyond
imagination.
The Greek words translated "pay much closer attention to" and "drift
away from" both have a nautical usage. The first means "to tie up a
ship" and the second can be used of a ship that has been carelessly
allowed to drift past the harbor because the sailor forgot to attend
to the steerage or chart the wind, tides, and current. Hebrews 2:1
could be translated: "We must diligently anchor our lives to the
things we have been taught, lest the ship of life drift past the
harbor of salvation and be lost forever."
Most people don't deliberately turn their backs on God; they almost
imperceptibly slip past the harbor of salvation and are broken on the
rocks of destruction. Be sure you warn those you know who might be
slipping past that harbor.
Suggestion for Prayer:
Ask God to strengthen your resolve when you know you need to confront
someone regarding his or her relationship with the Lord.
For Further Study:
Memorize Proverbs 4:20-22 as your own reminder of how important it is
to hold on to God's Word.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Proverbs 4:20-22
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my
sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of
your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their
flesh.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
.
|
