An Australian man from the state of Queensland left Getullai Island on Tuesday but did not reach his destination on time because his dinghy overturned and was damaged.  A search party went out to search for him on Wednesday.  The man was found clinging to a piece of wood in the shark-infested waters of the Torres Strait, north of Australia.  An air crew of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) first found the overturned dinghy and then found the man a little over a mile away, trying to stay afloat.  He had been struggling in the rough waters for nearly 24 hours.  The AMSA said the man was lifted to safety after being found “clinging to some flotsam.” *

“Flotsam” is defined as the wreckage of a ship or its cargo that may be found floating on the water or washed up on the beach.

“Flotsam” may be a good term to use to describe things to which people cling to try to save themselves from some difficult circumstances, often self-inflicted.

For example, our sins put our souls in peril.  They separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and place us in the perilous waters of destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

Some try to cling to some “flotsam” to save themselves.  Some trust in their own goodness, but “being good isn’t good enough,” for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  Some try man-made religion, but Jesus decried the insufficiency of such saying, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).

The Good News (the Gospel) is that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  Even though we are sinners, God loves us so much that He sent His Son to our rescue (John 3:16).  To rescue us, Jesus had to give His life for our sins: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins and their “flotsam” in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7-9).

Clinging to flotsam won’t save you.  Only Jesus can save.  He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).  Let go of the flotsam and cling to Jesus through your trusting obedience.  He will carry you safely home.

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Man survives nearly 24 hours in shark-infested water by clinging to piece of wood: 'Very lucky'” by Jon Brown of Fox News, www.foxnews.com.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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