I recently came across a story of a team of divers in 1955 Georgia. The two divers were Navy Lieutenant Murray Anderson, and Donald Garu. They went to a little town called Radium Springs in southern Georgia. There they dived in the local flooded cave system. Long story short the experienced Lt. Anderson became lost and disoriented in the murky water and tight spaces. When he didn’t resurface his dive partner, Garu, went in to look for him but couldn’t find him. After another group of rescuers arrived the next day to find him they found his body at the top of one flooded cavern.

What stood out to me as a sad footnote in the story was that his guideline became loose and he lost his way and appeared to have been frantically searching for it and with the loss of his light he couldn’t find it. Consequently he died only a few feet from the end of his dive line. When his homemade light went dead he didn’t even know how close he was to his salvation and died with it just out of his blind reach. Does this sound familiar? I love long forgotten stories and looking for lessons in history; This story is one. But what is history if you don’t learn from it?

To often we go diving into the world around us and want to explore the things that it has to offer. But all the while we are getting farther and farther from our life line. And when we finally realize we need to turn back it’s to late, we’ve become unhooked and we desperately try to find it all the while slowly suffocating from the weight of our poor decisions before we die so close to the very thing that could guide us back to the safety of land.

Are we getting to comfortable in the world around us that we are willing to take risks when we know the proper safety protocols? Things like in in 1 John 2:15-17, or James 4:17 (look them up!) tell us certain principles to adhere to. Or do we suddenly find ourselves like King Saul desperate to find God’s Spirit again that we follow false directions and guides and try to use our homemade methods to figure out where we need to be. But they don’t work! Finally we suffocate under the fear and desperation of our own thoughts when God’s Word lays right on our night stands as we wallow in defeat in our beds just feet from our lifeline to our Savior!

Similarly, almost two thousand years ago, Pilate asked Jesus a question in John 18:38, “What is Truth?”. Christians are oftened asked the same thing. What do we say? Do we know how to answer that? Where do we point people? It’s a challenge for sure; but one that is worthy of the work that we need to put forth. We put so much energy and time into our hobbies or pastimes, but how much into be a walking, talking, and vibrant encyclopedia of truth to point the world to Jesus Christ. We are promised that the Holy Spirit will give us the words we need (Luke 12:11-12), but that doesn’t mean we leave our lifeline dusty and unattended. We need to be in God’s Word daily. Digging into His Truths and learning how we are to be as His disciples. Then we can use our lifeline to bring lost souls to Him.

Another thing to remember is this: just like the story of the two divers 71 years ago, all the knowledge and training didn’t do them any good if they were not connected to the right line and put that training to use. So to can we be if we do not apply the facts we know from God’s Word, live them, and stay close to Him. All the head knowledge in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t properly apply it. So let’s all be connected to the true Lifeline of Jesus Christ and His Word and share that same line to the world!

Here are some lyrics to a song by Josiah Queen I think is appropriate here:

You only get this one life
I don’t wanna sit and watch it pass me by
I’m so done being complacent, there ain’t no replacement
For a life in the light of your way
Oh, I’m done, had enough of my way
With dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones
No wonder why we feel this way
We walk with our eyes closed, blind leading blind folks
And I’m done with those idols and dusty Bibles

So keep studying class and until next time stay strong!