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

Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

Sailing is one of the oldest forms of travel. To do it properly, ancient sailors needed to know three key things: direction, speed, and time. They’re known as dead reckoning basics. Without them, it was easy to drift off course as land was out of sight, winds pushed against the boat’s planned course, and stars were sometimes hidden by clouds.

Much like ancient sailors, we need spiritual basics to keep us from drifting off course, and the most basic of these is truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, KJV). We are urged in Hebrews to listen very carefully to him because without his voice, we can easily drift from the life God has called us to live. The narrow gate can become harder to see when people who helped anchor us leave our world, trials and tribulations push against our forward progress, and temptations cloud our path.

To carefully listen to the truth, we must first hear it regularly. That includes reading our Bible daily, showing up faithfully to worship services, and praying throughout each day. The more we engage God through his word, the more likely we are to carefully listen and avoid an unintentional drift away from him.