Can you imagine setting off on a trip to Florida only to end up at the Grand Canyon? While this seems far-fetched to our GPS dependent travel of today, spiritually, we can easily stray off course. Instead of pursuing our destination of the high calling of heaven, we end up at Mount Trashmore. (Yes, this is a real place in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a lovely park built on top of a garbage dump.)

Whether occurring in calm waters or during an especially hectic season of life, drifting is deceptive since we may not realize we have left the path.  We forget what God has said and done, we want signs of His goodness, and we gradually become insensitive to sin. Our hearts get calloused as the eternal things of God have less influence over our course, and the things of the world pull us into their current.

In fact, the influence of this world is so strong that the writer of Hebrews cautions us, “We must pay closer attention to what we have heard so we do not drift away from it.” How can we keep from drifting? Again, turning to the book of Hebrews, I found several instructions which I formulated into a prescription to help safeguard us from drifting.

HIDE – ABIDE – SING – CLING

As we Hide His Word in our hearts, it allows us press on to maturity (6:1) not partaking merely of milk but of solid food. This prevents us from “getting carried away by strange teachings” (13:9). My paraphrase of this verse is – Feed yourself from God’s word. Don’t get spoon-fed from You Tube, K-Love or Right Now media.

We Abide by being diligent to enter His rest (4:11), fixing our eyes on Jesus (12:2), and continually drawing near to his throne of grace (4:16). These principles are contrary to the world’s demands to keep striving, consult others for their expert opinions, measure yourself against those around you, and fill your minds with more and more knowledge.

Sing. Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name (13:15).

Cling.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful. (10:23) We let this hope, sure and steadfast, anchor us to the course God has set before us, (6:20) and by his grace, we persevere to the end.