One of my favorite spring activities as a boy was to get a chip of wood, put a makeshift sail on it made of a toothpick and a little piece of paper—and then let it float downstream. Sometimes we would launch our chip boats onto a mud puddle and let the wind push them around. It seems a lot of boys liked to do that in those days.

You could watch the current take the little boat, twist it to and fro and do pretty much what it wanted to with the makeshift craft. I never knew where it would end up. Sometimes I would follow the boat downstream and rescue it from the many times it would be stranded in an eddy or on a little shore. There seemed something curious to my mind about the control the currents and wind had on the little boat—and the utter helplessness of the boat itself.

Drifting aimlessly has never been appealing to me. I think those experiences with the chips defined a part of my character without me realizing what was happening. I did not want to be a drifter like that little chip was. I did not want destiny to shape my life for me or the whims of others to determine what I could or could not be. I wanted to control my destiny as much as possible.

My need for a definable goal and the means to achieve that goal have always been a subconscious force in my decisions. I learned that one could shoot for the moon and perhaps land on a cloud. The cloud was much higher than the ground everyone trod on. Observing the animals preparing for the winter also helped define the need to look ahead and not just randomly make choices that suited my moods or feelings.

Wandering in the wilderness

Psalm 107 carries one of the most profound messages that includes the theme of drifting that I have seen in the Scriptures. In this Psalm we read the description of spiritual life being battered about by strong outside forces. An aimless and purposeless drifting seems to occur spiritually. Verse 2 indicates that the people are those who have been called by God. They are described as people who had been drifting.

All mankind is in this stormy sea, and we can truly say that, try as we might, we cannot get the ship we are on to sail smoothly and peacefully in the direction of happier and better times. There do seem to be periods of time in which mankind is going in the right direction. We note that by progress, strong family life and peace. The duration is short, however, and soon a wind comes up and nation after nation finds itself caught up in the swirl of world events that prove to be unsettling and often disastrous.

Verses 6 through 9 describe God guiding and helping this group. However, most of the world is oblivious to the rudder God offers. The only help we could have is rejected and man sinks back into the depths of despair, frustration and anger. We simply do not want someone telling us what to do.

Actually, though, the only question is who is going to tell us what to do. If humans do not follow God, they will follow another force that pressures them, and that is the deception of Satan. We may think we are following our own plans and thoughts, but often we are subtly guided and misguided by an evil being who is far more intelligent and devious than we humans are. Verses 17 and 18 describe the foolishness of those who abhorred the truth God offers. These draw near to death and think they have found life.

The broad way

Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 7:13-14 that the way that leads to death is wide and easy to travel. It seems like we are in control. It is like our little chip boat floating down a larger river. The currents do not draw the chip into the rocks or sand—the river is large enough that nothing seems to impede the progress of the chip boat we have built. We are oblivious to any danger.


It is like a little piece of wood that is drifting down the river towards Niagara Falls. The current is strong and seems to move the wood along with ease. But the end result was not seen or was ignored. It is only when it is too late that the ominous roar of the falls strikes fear into the heart.

Generally people don’t want to die, but the direction so many choose leads to an early death. A police officer friend of mine once told me that the average life span of a teenager who starts to take drugs is about 10 years. Dead before the age of 30. What a tragedy. Jesus said that only the few find the narrower path that leads to life—the path less traveled.

Back to Psalm 107. Verse 25 tells us about the stormy seas and winds that God does control. He is the master potter and designer of our destinies (Romans 9:15-26). God is concerned about mankind and thus we know that He carefully watches each little chip that is sailing along. Those that are drifting aimlessly will one day be rescued. They will be gathered in by their Creator.

Verses 26 to 30 are very encouraging. We see that people wander into all sorts of difficulty when they are at the mercy of the storms. Good sailors know that they must fight against the storms, but even then, only with a good rudder and power from an engine or sail can they have any control. Drifting is a certain recipe for disaster. I love the words of verse 30, “He guides them to their desired haven.”

Eternity in our hearts

God has placed in all humans a hope and desire to live forever. We do not always understand that, but the life of a person is so profoundly different from that of any other creatures, that we can only wonder as to how God created complex matters such as thought, learning, hope and fear.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we glimpse this desire when the Bible tells us that God has placed “eternity” in their hearts. That does not mean humans live forever—it is the concept and hope of eternity that is within us all. That is in all likelihood part of the reason that every culture has religious beliefs. They are confused and wrong, but nevertheless all tend to promote the belief in life after death. God offers the gift of eternal life. That is the shore to which He will guide those who yield to His hand.

The last five verses of Psalm 107 tell of the influence of God in our lives. He will not allow the disasters that drive unbelieving mankind to such great distress to destroy His people. He does not take us out of the stormy sea, but He supplies the rudder and the power to guide His people through the storm to a safe harbor.

Sailing stormy seas is what develops skill and strength in a sailor. Calm waters never do. Sailing aimlessly and with a loss of power and rudder is the recipe for disaster and death. Verse 43 states that the wise will observe these things and understand the loving-kindness of God.

Perhaps making a little chip boat that was subject to the whims of the stream or wind was a good thing to do. It taught me the result of aimless drifting and proved the need for guidance. Truth as defined by God is the guide we all need. He promises that if we do observe, if we do seek and if we do knock, He will answer (Matthew 7:8). The Bible is the source of this truth—let’s use it!