It started out to be a real pleasure cruise, an all-day deep sea fishing trip. But the little boat ran out of gas and, with two men aboard, drifted—and drifted—and drifted.
At last that night a 23-foot cabin cruiser saw the helpless small boat and took it in tow.
"Saved," they thought.
But no. The cruiser was soon out of gas too, and now there were two boats and six people out in the Atlantic drifting helplessly.
There was no ship-to-shore radio on either boat, but they were confident that they would soon be rescued. Cheerfully they shot off their distress flares and waited to be found.
After three days of drifting, they came to the realization of their plight. Sure of early relief, they had not been careful with food and water. Now there was no food left and, far more serious, no water. They could find only one pack of canned drinks. They were able to catch two fish—which they ate raw—and the drinks they rationed at the rate of one can a day between the six of them.
At this point one survivor said, "If we had had a gun, we would have shot ourselves!"
Several times they saw freighters pass in the distance, but the two small boats still drifted on unnoticed and helpless.
With hope almost gone, on the fifth day they found one more flare. No careless confidence this time! The six sent their distress call where it would certainly be heard—they prayed!
After they prayed they sent the last flare up. Would it flare and fade as the others had done? Would they be left drifting on until they died?
A navy plane noticed the flare and sent word to the USS John Hancock, already on its way to Cape Canaveral. Soon help was on the way. They were picked up by the destroyer, saved after six days of drifting. Another day, and they were reunited with their families. They had drifted two hundred miles.
Are you like the six in the boats? Hungry-hearted, thirsty of soul and drifting ever farther from safety? God knows all about it! For the hungry the Lord Jesus says, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger."
Thirsty? He says, "He that believeth on Me shall never thirst."
Try, and see!