LISTEN TO THE DEVOTIONAL
No one sets out to drift—whether at sea or in a relationship. It happens quietly, almost without noticing.
José Salvador Alvarenga set out on a routine 2-day fishing trip. But when his boat’s motor failed, a storm pushed him far from shore. José had no map, no compass, and no way to steer. For 438 days, he drifted thousands of miles, surviving by catching fish with his bare hands, scooping up rainwater, and eating birds that landed on his boat. After traveling more than 6,000 miles, his boat washed ashore on an island. José had drifted longer and farther than almost anyone in recorded history.
Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming! Song of Solomon 2:15
Just as ocean currents carried Jose far from home, the currents of life can take us far from God and each other. That’s why God reminds us in scripture that “ … we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1).
“How did we get here?” a couple asks themselves the morning they wake up and realize they’ve drifted away from one another. Scripture cautions us to “Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love” (Song of Solomon 2:15a). Relationship drift is rarely dramatic. It’s the careless disregard, the small foxes, that slowly erode love.
If you’re feeling adrift in your marriage today, there is something you can do about it. Name what’s been happening. Neglecting to pay attention, prioritizing other things, and just plain busyness unmoor marriages all the time. Together, purpose to ask what the other needs right now to regain that closeness.
Relationships don’t drift back on course, so grab the oars together and start rowing.
