«Lest we drift (slip) away» (Hebrews 2: l).
PAUL INDICATES that we are living in the last days of history and that is what should be foremost on our minds. It is necessary, not optional, and it is essential to be more diligent, focused, engaged, and established in Christ and His Word. Then, firmly anchored there so we do not have a life without direction, we will not slip away or be dragged like those who slip down a slide with nothing to hold them back or stop them. They just wait for the final impact that hurts, destroys, and kills.
Junior was once climbing a mountain called Pico da Canastra, which is 2,600 feet high and is located in the mountains of southern Brazil. It was a beautiful summer day when something unexpected suddenly happened. He was only sixteen feet away from the summit when a big storm blew in.
The last anchor point where the rope was fastened to the rock was thirteen feet below him. He quickly tried to climb up to the top before the rain came. However, he did not succeed. The storm hit him when he was merely six feet away from the final anchor points.
Wet basalt rock is extremely slick and slippery. Any movement to go down could have resulted in a free fall of more than forty-five feet. Fear took over. His legs started shaking. The rain and wind overcame him with force. What could he do? There was only one safe and intelligent option: to remain motionless on the rock, holding on tight. He did that for almost one hour. The summer rain passed and with the heat, the rock was ready to be climbed again an hour later. His shout of victory on the summit that day was very different.
The only slip-resistant certainty in the ascent of spiritual life is to stand firmly on the Rock, which is Christ. Any human attempt to move will be fatally risky. Thus, Ellen G. White asks us, «Are our feet on the rock of ages? Are we hiding ourselves in our only refuge? The storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it?» (Evangelism, p. 199).
Those questions are from God; the answers are ours.
