DRIFTWOOD Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. Daniel 11:35 niv
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sually, driftwood forms when trees or large, wooden objects have been swept away by the sea either by natural or human efforts. The pieces that make it back to shore are smooth to the touch and are often used as decorative pieces or furniture. Other pieces anchor the foundation of a sand dune, with its former life a thing of the past. But a lot of driftwood doesn’t make it back to shore. It’s eaten by bacteria and organisms, and it eventually disintegrates while it drifts. A lot like what happens to us when we remain in a quandary of doubt: our stomachs churn, and we can feel as though we’re being eaten from the inside out. What better way for the enemy to render us useless than to have us doubt our faith? We may question if we were ever faithful in the first place. We might secondguess our motives or wonder if this Christian life is really worth it. Maybe God let us down and we’re angry with Him—to the point that we’re not speaking to Him. Or we drift because life is actually going very well—we’re distracted by our new promotion, or new boyfriend, or new home, for example—so we adopt this idea that we must be doing something right, and we can therefore lighten up on living out our faith. We think that perhaps we don’t need Him for everything, after all. Then there is another reason for drifting: God’s people—or those who masquerade as God’s people—let you down. Sometimes, we’re so fragile that all it takes is an unfriendly exchange with a greeter, neglect from a leader, or judgment from a 10
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1/23/12 12:55 PM