Do this and you will never ever be lost. In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2nd Peter 1:10b-11 CEB
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Lots of food. A long weekend. What’s not to love? Lots of people travelling. Regardless of your mode of travel, I hope you have great directions for your final destination.
As one who can get lost so frequently that all roads look familiar, I am thrilled to find today's promise - Do this and you will never ever be lost. Since our destination is the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it would behoove us to follow the trip advisory that God has laid out for us. If we go back a few verses in our text for today, we find this vital information:
By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces.
This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are the things we must do so that we will never be lost.
Peter goes on to tell us, Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins.
Let's not get lost. God has given us the directions for our journey - His Word. It has all the vital information we need. The route is clearly highlighted. Use it! Don't take one step without it.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank You for the ultimate travel guide. We are so grateful that You have paid the way for us to get to You. We want to be around Your banqueting table on the day You call us home. Keep us ever mindful of the trip advisories in Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 NKJV
Traditionally, the women in my family line don't like to travel. Don't get me wrong, we go places and we generally have a good time once we get there... It's the process leading up to getting there that makes us (and everyone around us) a little crazy. My mother immigrated to America on a ship, a war bride, by herself with my oldest brother who was a toddler at the time. I've lost count of the times I've driven back and forth across this country. Several times, just me and the Lord - just like my sister's done it - and just like my daughter's done it... It's way out of the comfort zone, separation anxiety, all the what-ifs - like what if I get lost, what if I break down, the whole what-if thing that happens.
That makes me acknowledge one of the things I love best about the Lord. I found Him because He kept calling me so I'd know how to find Him. Now, I always know where He is because He never leaves me.
And I can live my life in Don't-Worry-Be-Happy-mode because in His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. And He makes the crooked way straight and He guides my footsteps AND guards them so that I don't fall. (It's all there in His Word. Check it out!)
And to top it off, there's NO separation anxiety because Scripture assures us in Romans 8:38-39, that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer:
Father,
You are the quintessential travel guide. Not only do You guide our every step, You designed the scenery. You are amazing! Cause us to always be mindful to follow the path of life You have chosen for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
