Latest / The Daily Word / July 5 – Don't Drift Away
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, good afternoon, good day, Lakeshore family. Welcome to the Daily Word Podcast. I'm Robert Rosales, and alongside my wife, Yolanda, we have the honor of serving as campus pastors at our Gastonia location. This podcast is a simple space we share each day to slow down, open God's word, and pay attention to what he's saying. As a church family, we're committed to meeting with God daily. Not out of routine, but out of relationship, through scripture, through prayer, and by capturing what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts and how it connects to our everyday lives. We're walking together through the Life Journal Reading Plan. And today we'll be focusing on the New Testament portion from that plan. When I invest time with the Lord, I try to keep things uncluttered. My Bible, my journal, something to write with. And a highlighter to mark what stands out. Most of the time, I lean in on a couple of trusted study tools to help me go a little deeper and stay grounded in the text. Not to replace God's word, but to help me to listen and understand more deeply. We also follow the soap method, scripture, observation, application, and prayer. It's a simple and practical way not just to read the word. But to respond to it and write things down in our life journal. So before we jump into today's passage, would you just take a moment to prepare your heart with me? Let's pray. Let's go to the Lord and ask him to help us. Lord, as we open your word, we ask that you would open us by your spirit, make your word, truth, come alive in us. Give us ears to hear. Hearts to receive and courage to respond. Speak to us, Lord. We are listening. In Jesus' name, amen. Friends, today's passage for July 5th is Hebrews chapter 2, and I journaled from verse 1. Let me read it to us out of the New King James and then quickly out of the Amplified. This is how it reads. Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to. To the things we have heard, lest we drift away. The Amplified puts it this way. For this reason, that is, because of God's final revelation in His Son Jesus, and because of Jesus' superiority to the angels, we must pay close attention more than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not in any way. Drift away from the truth. Notice that last part. So that we do not in any way drift away from the truth. The title of my journal entry is real simple: Don't drift away. Come on, say that with me. Don't drift away. Here's the observation. The writer warns and reminds his readers that inattention can lead. To spiritual drift. The phrase translated as drift away, it comes from the Greek verb. I'm gonna try to pronounce it here, okay? Parareho. P-A-R-A-R-R-E-O. And this word appears only once in the New Testament. And because of its rarity, its usage in Greek literature is especially helpful. For understanding its meaning. The word is broken down in two parts, para, P A R A, and that means beside, past, or alongside. The second part, Reho, R-H-E-O, means to flow, to flow. Taken together, the word literally means to flow past, to slip by, to drift. Past or to be carried away by a current. Many scholars believe the author is using a nautical illustration. Imagine a ship approaching a harbor. If the sailors fail to be very, very mindful, if they fail to pay careful attention, they don't just crash into the rocks, they simply miss the harbor. The current quietly carries them past a safe destination. Think about that. This is likely the image the writer intends. Notice what isn't in the verse: no storm, no rebellion, no deliberate abandonment, just inattention. The warning is not primarily about someone intentionally rejecting Christ. Instead, It warns against the danger of spiritual neglect. For example, skipping church services regularly, skipping reading my Bible and connecting with God, not being part of a small group for encouragement and loving gracious accountability, or not serving anywhere in ministry, just showing up to receive. All of these, just to name a few, can be areas where we can have spiritual neglect. Think about the verse, it begins like this. We must give the more earnest heed. In other words, we must pay careful attention. And the logic is significant. Think about it. Failure to pay attention leads to gradual drifting. And drifting is a result of neglect, not necessarily being openly rebellious. And this really fits the flow of Hebrews, where several warnings come. Caution believers against following their hearts to become dull through neglect, unbelief, and disobedience. So, Pastor Robert, how does all of this apply to my life? Well, this is what I wrote for myself. This applies to my life in every way. If I want to keep from drifting away from the truth, if I want to keep from drifting in my relationship with Christ, I must Pay close attention to the things I've already heard, learned, and am aware of. I will guard against an attitude that says, ⁓ I already know that. And I will continue to stay open and teachable before the Lord in his word. I will continue to lean into the basic spiritual disciplines I know will keep me from drifting: Bible reading, prayer, church service, solitude, worship, serving. As I do these things and take heed to my walk with Christ, I am confident that I will not be led into inattention. And I will continue to move forward in the strength of the Lord. Come on, somebody say amen. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today through your word. Help me apply these truths to my life. Keep me from drifting, keep me from inattention. Help me to stay grounded in the disciplines, reading my Bible, attending worship services, being in a connect group, being accountable, staying in worship, making space for solitude. These things will help me keep from drifting. Holy Spirit, I'm counting on you. Empower me, enable me. I ask these things in Jesus' name. And everybody said, Amen. Lakeshore family. As you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His Word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will keep you growing and becoming everything God's called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you, and we'll catch you again tomorrow.