I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1-2

This month has me taking three driving trips which, for me, is a bit aggressive.   However, God has provided the grace to endure thus far.  As I was driving alone last week, I spent a bit of time considering some similarities between taking a trip and living our lives.  “A trip” is one of the many metaphors for life…and we only get one life to live.  Consequently, we should do our best to live it well.   The following are somewhat random musings linking the trips we take and the lives we live.

Beauty

For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also.  The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land.  Psalm 95:3-5

At the halfway point in my travels, the most recent excursion included the drive across upstate New York.  I love this drive as the scenery is beautiful.  As with all of creation, it is pleasing to the eye and the work of our Lord.  We do well to appreciate and relish the beautiful things that this life has to offer.  Dwell on them when times are hard as they are lovely and lighten the soul.  Consider also that our Lord’s hand not only created the beauty of this world, but also directs the events of our lives.

Worship

And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.  Deuteronomy 4:19

Since much of our world is populated, there are few places left that are devoid of man-made structures.  No matter how lovely or complex they may be, I find them to be a distraction from the natural beauty created by God.  They are, as it were, lesser things that pale in light of God’s creation.  Similarly, God’s creation is the lesser thing when compared to Jehovah.  So many religions worship idols, ancestors or nature.  We must remain ever vigilant to worship God alone.  In short, we are to worship the creator not the creation.

Focus

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Colossians 3:1

To arrive safely, one needs to stay focused on both the destination and the route.  Wrong turns, or worse leaving the road at a high rate of speed, likely leads to delay or a serious accident.  To live life well, we must stay focused on eternity and Christ, our only path to heaven.

Delays

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  James 1:2-4

There are various reasons that our trip may be delayed.  A few of those are: roadwork, accidents, or rush hour traffic.  By slowing down, we protect road workers, victims, emergency technicians, policemen, and other travelers as well as ourselves.   Be patient…the delay is justified.  In life, God may put people or events in our lives that appear to slow us down.  Our Lord always has a purpose; among them are instruction, correction and encouragement.  All of these are to edify us and make us complete.

Correction

Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored.  Proverbs 13:18

Driving too fast may lead to being stopped by the police.  Their role is to maintain safety on the highways.  The delay may be costly, but increased awareness of safety for yourself and others is valuable.  The godly who lovingly rein us in spiritually are a blessing not a harm.  Appreciate both their love and the hand of God directing them to us.

Arrival

When we arrive safely at our destination, we readily acknowledge God’s hand of protection.  Even if we are delayed or have an accident, we may still acknowledge His protective hand at work.  It is hard for us to say that God has protected one who does not survive a trip physically.  However, He has brought them safely home to abide with Him; the place of utmost safety and their reward.  Personally it has taken many years for me to recognize and accept that truth.

Almighty God is so creative.  The beauty of the earth, the sky, the heavens and all that they contain are proof of that.  Similarly, He has created each of us as unique individuals with unique gifts.  The people that He directs into our lives and the events that He uses to mold and refine us are just as unique. For those who love Him, He has one goal: safe arrival in Heaven.

In our culture, it is common to separate our spiritual lives from our physical ones.  However, as Christians, we should, as our Lord does, see them as one in the same with God directing us both physically and spiritually.  Our physical circumstances help us to grow spiritually.  Likewise, our spiritual growth teaches us to respond appropriately to our circumstances recognizing God’s hand in both.  Praise God that He lovingly directs our lives at all times.  His watchful care brings peace to turmoil of our lives.

The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

Will