Keep Driving

This past week my family went on vacation. It was a great time for us to get away and relax for a few days in the middle of a busy summer. We chose to drive and it was quite a journey. 12 hours with three young kids going from the Midwest to Biloxi, Mississippi. There were more stops than we anticipated, restlessness, refusal to sleep, and of course being asked, “are we there yet?” more times than we could count. There were times during the drive where we felt that the destination may not have been worth it. That is, until when we turned the last corner of our trip and saw the Gulf of Mexico. Instantly, all of our eyes were fixed on the boundless water and bright sand in the sunlight. Kim and I held hands, realizing simultaneously that the destination was indeed worth the drive.

The pressures and the pains of life make us feel like giving up at times. God calls us to go through difficult situations and deal with difficult people. If we’re honest with ourselves, there are times when we wonder, “is what God has for me worth the pain?” There may be other times where we wonder, “does God even care?” If you are a child of God, be encouraged that the destination is worth the hardship of this world. Jesus never promised a trouble free life. In fact, Jesus told His disciples

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 ESV

Be encouraged that, in a world full of tribulation, Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Paul, who was blessed to see Heaven in his lifetime (2 Corinthians 12:2-4), said

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18 ESV

Paul doesn’t diminish the pain we experience, but he puts in in perspective. Paul says that the eternal joy we are headed towards outweighs ALL the suffering you will experience in this life. When you see Jesus, the pains of this life will fade away. Somedays that’s the only thing that keeps me going.

Meditation Scriptures: Take some time to read and think on Revelation chapters 21 and 22. This is the paradise that awaits you if you are a child of God.

So keep driving. Keep moving forward and trust that God has an eternal reward for your faithful endurance!

Trust God. Seek Him. Be Affirmed in Christ.