Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1
Last weekend I took the grandkids on a river expedition. We went with shovels in our hands to retrieve a sunken boat. It has been months since a good rain, so things deep within the river emerged. It didn’t take long for all of us to give up and let it be, for it was far too gone and sunk too deep in the sand. I couldn’t help but think about the life of the boat and how it was useful at some point in its life. Maybe some careless fisherman left it on the bank without an anchor and the boat lost its moorings during the latest flood. Or it had been buried for years and shallow water made it appear like a ghost of the past. But regardless, the boat sits at the bottom forgotten and rotting away. The writer of Hebrews warns us that we too could “slip way”-become a forgotten memory in the sands of time.
Gill said, in his commentary, “the metaphor “slip way” seems to be taken from leaking vessels, which let out what is put into them; so becomes useless; and which is expressive of unprofitable hearing of the word, through inattention, negligence, and forgetfulness.”
As in all of us, we leak and it is pretty evident our nation too has lost its moorings and running a drift. What’s our answer? To give heed to the things we have seen, heard, read, felt and know. To end up at the bottom of a river while the waters of time roll over me and the sands of memories smother isn’t the way I want to end my Christian journey.
Mcclaren says, “We are in danger of drifting unconsciously from the anchorage of our faith – namely, the great words which we have heard. The currents that are brought to bear upon us run as strong as do any that are marked on charts and are the terror of sailors, and they need as careful steering and as great engine-power to resist them. There is the current of years. Time changes us all; and there is many a professing Christian who all unconsciously has slid away from his early better self, and is not now as devout a man – or with his life as completely under the influence of Christ and His gospel as he was in the early days. He keeps up appearances, but they are deceptive, and years have carried him down the stream and away from his old self.”
There are many of us who have closed our hands on the precious treasures of the gospel, and we like the fishermen have allowed to become either too familiar, careless, battle torn and through the process of time, let the treasure drift away.
Tomorrow is election day. I pray that you go out and vote pray and then engage. It’s what we do. It is no time like the present time for HARVEST!