Stranded Cruise Ship

I don't normally make any comments on current events in the news but this one struck me funny and I thought I would share. Tonight I was making some visits and while I was in one home the family was telling me about the Carnival cruise ship that was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico with more than 4,200 passengers. It was quite trying times for those aboard the ship. From my understanding the ship had lost power, working plumbing, and much more. It was crippled and needed assistance to get back to Mobil, AL.

With 4,200 plus people stranded on a ship in the Gulf of Mexico the news media had a great story developing. This event hit headlines, the evening news, Facebook, Twitter, and every other social media outlet. The media flew helicopters out to get pictures and videos of the floating disaster and yet they did nothing to get anyone off the ship. Banners were held over the railing of the ship with phrases like, "Help", "S.O.S", "Bring Food", and more.

I realize that 4,200 people is a lot but I would have thought that there would have been some sort of effort to get the people off by using boats to get them to shore. While the media was there to get their story they left the passengers stranded. It was a challenge for the passengers to get their phones charged as you can see from the pictures, but they were able to send videos and texts from the ship back to loved ones on shore.

I couldn't help but think of Christ and what He has done for us. We were like those stranded passengers who were helpless and unable to do anything that would bring them to land.  From the passengers statements to the press it was clear that each passenger simply focused on trying to find some sort of comfort during this trying time.  And just as they sought for comfort, people today are groping through life trying to find comfort and satisfaction while they are stranded and held under Satan's power.

Although there were many who came to capture videos and pictures of this cruise ship and did nothing to help, Jesus Christ did not stand as an observer of the world's desperate need of deliverance and do nothing. He stepped in and provided a way for man to be saved from the bondage of sin and Satan. He offers deliverance when no one else could. He suffered and died to pay the price for our sin so that we can stand before God and be declared righteous. Not that we have lived righteously but that all of our sins have been paid for and covered by the blood of the Lamb.

If another cruise ship had pulled up to this stranded ship and offered to take its passengers to shore any passenger who refused would be thought to be crazy. So why don't people want to place their faith in Christ as their deliverer?

What about you? 

Are you depending on Christ as your deliverer?

Or are you content to find shelter from the storms of life in your own way?