I saw a story recently about a tourist who was swimming in the ocean off the coast of Greece when he got caught in a riptide and was carried out to sea by a strong current. Though friends and family alerted the Coast Guard of his ordeal, he couldn’t be found and, ultimately, was considered to have been lost at sea.

Now this may sound like a story with a tragic end; however, I’m happy to report that it had an unbelievable and happy ending! Eighteen hours later, Ivan was found.  He was cold, shaken and dehydrated, but very much alive. How did he survive 18 hours lost at sea? It was all thanks to an unexpected floatation device that Ivan found drifting near him not long after being swept away: a half-inflated child’s soccer ball.

Not surprisingly, Ivan’s story of survival and the picture of the “miracle” soccer ball that saved him quickly made news. Amazingly, the photo caught the attention of a mom who recognized the ball as the very ball her son had lost 10 days prior, a total of 80 miles from where Ivan was found.

Incredible.

You know, God’s Word is a lot like that inflated ball. It’s not hard to get swept away in the culture of uncertainty and with all that we see happening in the world. Yet here’s what I continue to find to be true: When our lives are at stake, we must hold on to God’s Word, for in it is life and salvation.

I love what the Psalmist says in Psalm 145: 18-19,  “The Lord is near to all who call in Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and He saves them.”

Feeling swept away? Reach out. God’s Word and presence is nearer than you know! That, my friend, is good news.