Off Course

Hebrews 2:1  So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

On October 31, 1983, Korean Airlines flight 007 was on the last leg of a flight from New York City to Seoul, Korea with a stopover for refueling in Anchorage, Alaska. Unknown to the crew, however, the computer engaging the flight navigation system contained a one-and-a-half-degree routing error.

At the point of departure, the mistake was undetectable. One hundred miles out, the error was still unnoticeable. As the giant 747 continued over the Pacific, the plane was drifting further away from its proper course. Eventually, the plane was flying over the Kamchatka Peninsula and into prohibited Soviet airspace. Soviet radar picked up the plane and two fighter jets were sent to intercept the plane. The fighter pilots tried to make contact with the passenger jet, but after failing to receive a response, one of the fighters fired a heat-seeking missile. The Boeing 747 was hit and plummeted into the Sea of Japan, and all 269 passengers on board lost their lives.

If only the crew had known they had  drifted nearly 200 miles off course, the tragedy could have been prevented.

Today’s verse warns us about spiritually drifting away. It’s so easy to do, and so damaging once it happens.

Drifting starts off small and is barely noticeable. We skip a day of prayer or devotions. Then we get a little careless in our way of speaking, still not too bad. Before we know it, days have gone by where we haven’t given God or our spiritual lives any thought at all. We have drifted off course and never even noticed.

We must continually check our spiritual compass. It is so important for us to daily check in with God. Spend time in prayer, read your Bible. Ask yourself, “Am I more in love with Jesus today than I was yesterday?” If the answer is no, it is time to check your course for drifting, and get back on course.

Today’s Readings: Hosea 2-5; Hebrews 2

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