9 January

Today's the day when in 1997 yachtsman Tony Bullimore was rescued from his yacht in the Southern Ocean, five days after it had capsized. He later said he had survived on "a little chocolate, water and sheer determination" as he crouched in the upturned hull. He had been taking part in the Vendee Globe single-handed non-stop round-the-world race.

What is really striking is the sheer effort that had been put into the rescue operation. One officer from the Australian Air Force described it like this:

"We spent days flying backwards and forwards the 1,500 miles plus from Perth to the yacht to update its position and, hopefully, give Tony some indication that we knew where he was - if he was still alive."

When another vessel was finally able to get alongside the yacht there were no visible signs of life, but when the rescuers banged on the boat's hull, they were amazed to hear Mr Bullimore knocking back.

Do you ever think about how much effort God put into rescuing you? Jesus said this about himself:

The Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.

That didn't mean a quick trip round the corner and back home in time for lunch. Jesus left behind the glorious perfection of heaven and made the precarious journey into this sin-soaked world where he ended up being an object of ridicule as nails pierced his hands and feet. Why did he do that? Because he had come to seek and save people like you and me who were lost from God. That's how much God wants you!