There go the ships - thousands of them over the world's wide oceans. Whither bound? Do they know? Do they sail without compass or course? Do they have no destined port? Do they carry precious cargos, not knowing whither?
Can you conceive of such a thing as a ship upon the high seas and the captains not knowing why it is afloat? What it's doing? Where it's going? Suppose you hail one of these passing ships, call to the captain and ask him 'whither bound?' He will tell you exactly. But suppose he couldn't tell you; suppose he should answer 'I don't know. It does not matter. I go where the winds and currents take me.' What would you think of him then? You would call him foolish. You would tell him that where the winds take men on the seas is to shipwreck and disaster.
There go the ships - what ships? Ships of human lives, among them is your ship. Author John R. Gunn asks, "Where are you bound? Do you know? Do you sail without compass or chart? You carry precious cargo - do you know to what port? Are you just drifting, leaving the winds and tides to take you where they will? Then I must tell you that you are foolish. I must tell you that where the winds take men on the high seas of life is to shipwreck, ruin and death. The parable is plain - the man without a purpose in life is like a ship at sea without compass or course. If you have no commanding purpose, no definite course in life, sooner or later you will drift upon the shoals of disaster and ruin. Fix your life's compass on Jesus Christ. Let faith set your course and God will give you meaning and purpose to your life's voyage."