In the early part of this century, a ship was wrecked off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed onto the rocks.

In life too, powerful currents of compromise can catch the soul and carry it to shipwreck. Spiritual drifting is usually a slow and imperceptible process. We know it has occurred when we have lost the strong resistance to evil and the passionate desire for truth that we once knew.

The apostle Paul wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen to those to whom Timothy ministered. He encouraged him to be faithful in telling others what they needed to know, so they wouldn't stray from their devotion to Christ and cause their faith to be shipwrecked.

In our day, for every professing believer who succumbs to a sudden and savage assault of evil, a hundred more slowly drift away from God's truth, regular worship, and a life of faith.

We must give careful attention to what we know about Christ so that we don't drift away.  —HWR  — Haddon W. Robinson