Narrow, wide, long, curvy, uneven, broken, smooth and/or rough. The truth of the matter is that the pavement can get pretty fancy. Road trips are road trips and they can either be extremely fun, or extremely boring. Hours spent sitting in the car, in the same seat, listening to Pandora, falling asleep, talking with your friends, and enjoying the view can bring about some of the best and worst times of your life. Of course every now and then you have to stop and check on the car, put gas in it, eat, or just take a break from the demands of being on the road. Moreover, sometimes the journey does not always go as planned. However, the only way that you're able to reach your destination is if you keep going until you get there. Life is equally as simple; keep going till you get there.
Every week you tune in to see if The Lord will speak to your situation, and enlighten you in regards to the struggle of this current time. You know God, and you've known him for quite some time now. You love God and you've seen the work of his hand in the lives of others, and now you're wondering; am I doing something wrong?
When driving your car down the high way, sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances that arise at a moment’s notice. From time to time a flat tire may surprise you, or a transmission light may come on, and it's in place to clue you in on the arrival of a possible emergency.
You pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and you're dedicated to the cause of Christ. You go out of your way to do for those that you say you love, and you sometimes even wear your heart on your sleeve. You're not perfect, you make mistakes, but without question you're a good person. So, why does it seem as if the God that you love so much and work so hard to serve and please has left you at a rest stop, and moved on? Why does it feel like every time you take a leap of faith, you fall through the cracks? Your faith is so fragile right now that you're afraid to speak life. In fact, you're afraid to speak at all. You're not ashamed of the Gospel, but you’re definitely a little unsure.
News flash: It's not about who can quote more scriptures, and it's not about how high or low you can sing. It's not about who (on the usher board) can stand at the door the longest or who can strut to the front during offering time best. It's not about the size of the hat, or the amount of times you shout during Sunday service. It's about staying the course that God has tasked you with. Being available to God in the areas in which he has called you. It's about pure praise and pure worship giving God your absolute best at all times by blessing his name (Psalm 34). Every aspect of life is a journey that can only be mastered by staying the course.
We cannot go through life passively living off of two or three of our favorite scriptures. People need help, people are hurting, and the more you water down the substance in the message that God gave you to share with the world,the more saints leave the Tabernacle as broken as they were when they came. Your testimony is so important, what God brought you through is so relevant, but it's no good if you keep it to yourself (Revelation 12:7-11).
We must stop preaching and teaching a watered down self-doctored Gospel. More importantly, we must stop expecting and accepting a watered down message. Everything is not meant to make us feel good. The Bible says that," the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit", (Hebrews 4:12). Somebody needs to be cut that they might heal properly. Covering up years of child molestation and rape does not heal the wound. It is through proper help, prayer, and supplication that people begin to learn the reality of what it means to Trust in The Lord with all of their hearts leaning not unto their own understanding acknowledging God in all our ways, knowing that he shall direct our path (Proverbs 3:5-6). God is doing a new thing, with or without you. You must stay the course, you must own this.
The time for passive living has come and gone. You're not talking if you're not talking Jesus, and you're not preaching if you're not preaching Jesus. Preach the Word in and out of season because the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Luke 10:2). Jesus is still relevant in the twenty first century, but how can you convince others if you yourself are not convinced? You must master this, and you must stay the course.
The pit stop is not the final destination, so don't stop until you get there. Right now God is developing your character, your durability, your faith, and your relationship with him. He is giving your car the maintenance it needs, to successfully carry you through the completion of your journey. So be patient; your opportunity will come. God is not a God that he should lie, and he promised you that everything would be alright. Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear." Hold on to the things that he has revealed to you in your dreams, and the visions that he has shown you. Your life is not yet over, and he will never put more on you than you can bear. Begin to fast and pray. Ask God to work on you that he might create in you a clean heart. Some of us are still at this specific pit stop in life because we haven't given our whole-self away. We told God yes to preach his word, but we didn't really mean it. We still do our own thing Monday through Saturday, and reserved Sunday for our Godly stuff. Some of us told God that we would use our gifts and talents for him, but we know deep down inside that as soon as a major record deal is presented our way, we intend to press pause on God's work to only sing his praises for special family events back home at our home church. Some of us told God yes, but really meant “sorta,” “kinda,” or “when it’s convenient for me” and that is unacceptable. We've built our relationship with Christ by asking God what can you do for me? Instead, we should be asking, God what can I do for you? Some of us are so busy trying to be in charge of everything, that we forgot that Jesus is the driver, and the reason we can't move forward (and others seem to have moved past us) is because he has the keys. Who kicks the driver out a car that he owns? We must do better, we must humble ourselves, and resubmit ourselves properly to Christ. Heaven is our destination, and the only way to see the gift of eternal life is to seek Christ and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Get back in the passenger seat, put your seat belt on, and allow God's word to be the road map to direct your path. Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18 KJV) Remember, rest stops are for resting, but your destination is where you are destined to be. With God as the driver, you’re destination is heaven where the address is 316 Easy Street.
Let us bow:
Lord,
Take the wheel, take complete control. Have you way Lord, for I have acknowledge the error of my ways and seek your face. Bless me God that I might bless others. Allow your spirit to rest, rule, and abide within me Lord for I am your vessel. I give you all of me; whole heartedly. God I ask that you move on my heart that I might not compare myself to others. Help me to be grateful for what it is that you have granted me, and give me the strength to share my testimony with others that they too might come to know you. Help me to a place where I stand boldly on your word and your word alone, knowing that without you I am nothing. Thank you Lord for the grace and mercy that has accompanied me thus far in life, and it is my prayer that that same grace guide me to my destination, heaven. I love you God and I honor you in the name of Jesus in which I pray. Amen!
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