Drifting or Drawing??

Drifting or Drawing The storm was sudden. My grandfather and I had been shrimping on the lake we called Big Lake in Southern Louisiana. But consult any map and it will say “Calcasieu” lake. We started early in the morning and the sky was sunny and blue. However, along about lunch time storm clouds began brewing and we found ourselves out in the middle of the lake. We turned toward shore but my grandfather said, “we’re not going to make it before the storm hits”. Sure enough, here it came. High gale winds, white cap waves and torrential rain. I thought we would just drift and ride out the storm. But, no. My grandfather said we will turn the boat INTO the wind and motor into the wind just strong enough to keep us from DRIFTING. I said, “WHY?” He said if we were just going to drift we don’t know which direction the wind will take us. He said, the wind would send us crashing into the rocky shore and we would lose the boat and maybe even our lives. So, we turned the boat into the storm and used the motor to hold steady INTO THE STORM and ride it out. Within a hour the storm had passed over and the seas were calm again. Plus, we were safe. As I recalled this event, my mind began to think about out national situation. We are a nation, a church and a community that’s facing many storms and heavy situations around us. It seems that there is great anger, great violence, great division and in many cases uncontrolled emotions. Many have no anchor have no rock on which to hold on to. So, as a culture we seem to just be drifting. We are allowing the winds of the culture to send us drifting into who knows what – probably destruction. If this continues we surely will crash against the rocks. We will reach rock bottom because we have made no effort to turn INTO the storm and fight for our Christian values and Biblical principles. Nehemiah 4:14, “Be not afraid of them; remember the Lord, which is great and mighty, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” Drifting are drawing. Drifting, “carried slowing by a current of air or water”. Slowly allowing the wind or current of culture to carry us to a disastrous conclusion. Drawing, “selection or time of selection”. Carried or purposefully selecting the course needed to avoid the storm. The same situation occurred in Israel during the days of the high priest Eli. His priestly sons (Hophni and Phinehas) were sinning by committing adultery. I Samuel 3:22 says, “they lay with the women who served at the door of the tent of meeting”. They were also stealing from the offerings that were given by the people to the LORD. In the midst of these sins, the Philistines raided and stole the ark of the covenant. Why is that significant – well, if you remember, the very presence of the Lord resided between the wings of the angelic like figures on top of the ark. In the battle that ensued to re-capture the ark, both sons of Eli were killed. Phinehas’s wife went into labor and as she was dying, gave birth to a son who she called ‘Ichabod’ – the glory has departed Israel (I Sam. 4:21). The prophet during this time was Samuel. He was witnessing much what we are witnessing today. A nation that had lost her moral conscience and Biblical foundation. A nation drifting farther and farther away from God. A nation drifting, carried by the current of deception, thievery, and immorality. Samuel watched and witness this drift for 20 years (I Sam.7:2) while the ark (the glory of the Lord – the Shekinah of God) was held capture by the Philistines. The whole house of Israel lamented (CRIED OUT) to the Lord. So, the prophet Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel about how to resolve this drifting. His words were good for Israel and those same words are admonition for us to resolving this issue of drifting. It seems to me that the glory of the Lord has departed from our country, our community and our churches. Here’s Samuel’s words in I Sam. 7:3, “if you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtareh from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you…” DO YOU SEE THE ANSWER TO DRIFTING? Turn to the Lord. Seek the Lord. Draw near to HIM. The storms of our culture are real and that storm will continue to get stronger and stronger until it will overpower us, unless we follow Samuel’s instruction. Remove, return, repent and respond. Remove the things that interfere in us seeking God’s will and teaching. Return to God and His principles with all our heart. Repent of our selfish and sinful ways. Respond by serving God and serving God alone. Good news. Israel did exactly what Samuel said. They removed the idols and committed to serving God alone. They returned to HIM with their whole heart. The result. GOD BLESSED and gave them victory over their enemy. They recaptured the ark of the covenant and won the battle over The Philistines. To commemorate the victory, the prophet, Samuel placed a stone at Mizpah and named it “Ebenezer” – thus far the LORD has helped us. Victory and help from the LORD - because of their obedience. DRAWING NEAR TO GOD rather than drifting. So a question I ask of myself and of you. ARE WE DRIFTING OR DRAWING???? “SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, CALL YOU UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR”. ISAIAH 55:6 I am praying for you and your families, Leonard Navarre Lubbock, Texas