Hebrews 2:1 speaks to life threatening experiences in our lives. The author cautions: We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard ,least we drift away.
When we think about Ocean tides, we can see what the author means by the words “drift away”. Remember when a huge tsunami ripped houses and cars and sea walls from Japan and carried the debris as it drifted on ocean currents to the coastline of the United States?
There is another ocean phenomena that can also take away - it is less dramatic, but is extremely life threatening. This current shows us how easy it is to drift away without realizing what is happening. The currents are the result of ocean waves that flow toward the shoreline. When they reach the disruption of their flow, channels of water develop that take the water back out to sea. These channels are strong rip-tides and are unseen by untrained people standing on the shore, or even felt by those swimming in the ocean. The only way most swimmers know they are caught in a rip-tide is when they look toward land to see that they are very far from shore; and probably are further down the shore-line. The major danger of rip-tides is that it doesn’t feel as if you are drifting away until it may be impossible for most people to escape without help. And even then, help may come too late.
The rip-tides in our society can cause us to drift away from our Lord just as easily and unsuspectingly. Slowly, it doesn’t bother us anymore that movies legitimize immoral, trashy language; and social interaction and life-styles that are opposed to God’s moral laws. (a recent movie is rumored to have 500 uses of the same foul, trashy word) …. zombies, blood, witches, warlocks and magic! Addictions! Feel-Good philosophy replacing God’s Word ……busy-ness that overshadows our time with the Lord and reading His Word…… The author of Hebrews warns us that the water may be a comfortable temperature; but we must be careful that we aren’t drifting away…..from God……from God’s laws…..from our hope that is anchored in Jesus.
Let’s start the New Year with a conscious effort to resist being caught in the rip-tides
that are opposed to God’s moral laws
Lest we DRIFT AWAY