Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22

Stuart Armstrong and Andrea Davison are serious sailors.

They are serious sailors, but that doesn't mean they are sailors with whom you'd like to travel any distance.

Halfway on their journey across the Atlantic, the rudder of their boat jammed and sent them drifting in circles. Armstrong called the Coast Guard, but the Coast Guard said they were too far out to sea to be rescued. Although the news was disheartening, the pair had plenty of food and equipment to make fresh drinking water. They didn't worry -- too much.

Their confidence began to erode when their boat was hammered by storms, and it was undercut when, after weeks, they began to run out of food. Things really started to look bad when a power failure knocked out their water-purifying equipment.

Eventually, the Coast Guard asked an oil tanker, the Indian Point, to make a five-hour detour to save the pair. An observer on the rescue ship said they were "scared and wet and happy" to have been saved.

I can understand why they would feel as they did. I can understand because, figuratively speaking, their story is ours. Like them, we were without spiritual power and divine direction. Like them, we were adrift and going nowhere. Even worse, as our human limitations became obvious, our sinful condition took us beyond the reach of human help.

Thankfully, we, like this pair, were not forgotten. Our Father in heaven mounted a rescue mission and sent His Son to save us. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Of course, our redemption was not a five-hour diversion; it was a lifetime commitment.

Through His life, His suffering, His death, and His resurrection, Jesus has saved us. The Holy Spirit has lowered the life rope and brought us to repentance, faith, and safety.

And how should we feel? Not necessarily wet and maybe not scared, but we certainly ought to be thankful and happy for what God has graciously done to save us.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, looking upon this sinful world You were committed to our rescue. For sending Your Son and for allowing Him to take our place, You have our deepest gratitude. May I always be thankful and happy for the gift of life Jesus gives. In His Name. Amen.

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In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 15-16    Mark 8:22-38

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