Landmarks
Living on the Gulf Coast offers opportunities to take the family to the beach. My boys love to go down to the beach to play and swim. However, they are too young to be aware of the dangers that come from playing and swimming in the ocean. Aside from all of the creatures in the water, there are the undercurrents that can take you away. Without realizing it, the undercurrents can quickly pull you away from the safety and security of friends and family.
In order to assure you do not become a victim of the undercurrent, it is a good idea to establish a landmark on the beach. It could be your vehicle or a house. Every few minutes you want to check your landmark to make certain you are not drifting away because of the undercurrent. This is vitally important because if you are not careful, before you know it you can be out of line from the landmark and suddenly find yourself way off course.
This same rule applies to our walk with the Lord. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away” (Hebrews 2:1). Life has its own undercurrents that, if we are not careful, can quickly pull us away from our relationship with Christ. Jesus called these undercurrents “the cares of this life” (Luke 21:34). The demands of life make it so easy for us to take our eyes of the Lord and the next thing you know you have begun drifting away.
I would like to give you three landmarks that you might want to check occasionally to make certain the undercurrents of life are not causing you to drift in your relationship with Christ. The first landmark is God’s Word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Reading God’s Word daily will assist you in fighting the undercurrents of life.
The second landmark is prayer. Paul wrote, “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17). I believe we should set an appointment with the Lord everyday to spend time with him. The third landmark is church attendance. The writer of Hebrews put it this way, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Each of these three landmarks, when used together will help keep you from drifting away.
So, here are three landmarks that you can use to determine if you are drifting away from Christ. Take a moment to reflect and check the landmarks in your life. Are you reading God’s Word regularly? Are you spending quality time seeking God’s face? Are you attending church on a regular basis? The children swimming at the beach are just going with the flow, however if they do not check their landmarks, they may find themselves drifting way off course. Check your landmarks before you find yourself off course.
God bless you,
Pastor Gary
