Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - What's Worse Than a Somali Pirate?

A U.S.-flagged ship that played a central role in a bloody hijacking drama last spring was attacked again November 18th, a busy day for piracy in the dangerous waters off the east coast of Africa. It was the first time a security team aboard a major merchant ship repelled a pirate attack, a top U.S. Navy officer said. The Maersk Alabama came under automatic weapons fire from pirates about 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, the European Union's anti-piracy force said, but fought the attackers off (CNN.com).

Pirates have been around as long as people have used the oceans as trade routes. The earliest documented instances of piracy are the exploits of the Sea Peoples who threatened the Aegean and Mediterranean in the 13th century BC. Even though pirates raided many ships, few, if any, buried their treasure. Often, the "treasure" that was stolen was food, water, alcohol, weapons, or clothing.

Other things they stole were household items like bits of soap and gear like rope and anchors, or sometimes they would keep the ship they captured (either to sell off or because it was better than their ship). Such items were likely to be needed immediately, rather than saved for future trade. For this reason, there was no reason for the pirates to bury these goods (wikipedia.com).

There are very few things in life that I can think of that would even be close to being considered worse than a Pirate, but the Bible gives us a remarkably stunning discovery, one that will never make the headlines or be seen on the Discovery Channel. The truth is that every single one of us has been guilty of hijacking something far more valuable than treasure from another ship. We all stand guilty of hijacking our very lives from the One for whom it was made - our Creator.

Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This verse simply means that God has a standard of perfection, and no matter how hard we try to hit the mark, we always fall short. This is because we have in our hearts a rebellious nature that is bent on doing life our own way. It's as if we say to God, "Okay, God. Here's the deal! You run the universe and I'll run me, thank You very much!" It is for this reason that we are separated from God and the chasm between us and Him is so wide that none of us can cross it on our own, no matter how hard we try.

This news story about us from the Bible gets worse before it gets better. It goes on to say that if we die in this condition, separated from God, we will spend eternity separated from Him and there will be nothing we can do to turn back. The good news is it doesn't have to be this way. This is not the final scene that God has written in His script for your story. He has provided a way to cross the chasm between us and Him, allowing us to find forgiveness and the hope of going to heaven when we die.

His plan requires a rescue mission, and His rescue strategy is clear. He sent His one and only Son Jesus into the world to pay for your rebellion by dying a horrible death on a harsh, wooden cross. He did this so that you wouldn't have to pay for your own hijacking. Talk about love! Jesus came to earth to rescue the greatest treasure in the universe - you! Forgiveness and a personal relationship with the living God are yours for the asking because of what Jesus did for you. I encourage you to visit www.needhim.org and let us help you find your way home from the dangerous, open seas.