When you set sail on the high seas, you need to know three important facts: your location, your destination, and your course. By referring to a map and using a compass, you can end up where you want to go.

The hard part comes in determining where you are at any given moment. Foul weather (strong wind, high waves, and limited visibility) creates conditions that can sometimes confuse sailors. I heard about someone who set out across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Grand Haven. After sailing for 2 hours, trusting his own sense of direction, he spotted a large city on the horizon—Milwaukee! Somehow, thinking he was headed east, he had gone in a huge circle.

How does a follower of Christ stay on course and avoid spiritual shipwreck? Paul wrote of the importance of holding on to "faith and a good conscience" (1 Tim. 1:19). We can do that by carefully reading and following the directions in God's Word, depending on the Spirit's leading and moment-by-moment help, and listening to the wise counsel of concerned Christian friends.

How are you doing? Are you on course or in danger of shipwreck? Determine right now to live in faith and holiness, staying on course until you are safely Home.  — David C. Egner