Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near; Isaiah 55:6 ESV
If we have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then we are on the way to be with Him in Heaven. But how we will get there are what our journey will be like is in large part up to us. Today's verse calls us to seek the Lord while He may be found. Jesus also told us, that if we seek, then we would find. Are we seeking to walk closer with Him? This week as we sang the hymn, "When We All Get to Heaven", I shared a story of helping a friend of ours to move. This lady had lots of animals, including a dog, three cats, two tanks of fish and two large birds which were either parrots or macaws (Maybe my bird loving readers can explain the difference for me). We saved those birds for the last trip, but their cages were so big that there was only enough space for one of them to ride up front with me. The other, I wedged in between the boxes in the back of my pickup, and then covered him with a thick blanket. The good news was that everyone made it safely to our friend's new apartment. The bad news was that the parrot (or macaw) in the back was terrified when he got there! Susan told us it took him a week to get back to normal! The question I have for you today, is "How do you want to get to heaven?" If your salvation is assured because you have received Christ as your Savior and Lord, then I am delighted. But as you journey along through life, how close you walk with Jesus will determine the joy you will experience and be able to share with others along the way. So how would you like to arrive in heaven? Do you want to ride up front with Jesus or be wedged in between the boxes in the back with a blanket over your cage? Just a thought as you start this new week and I hope you will enjoy our hymn singing at Sunshine Christian Village from this past Saturday. If we seek the Lord while He may be found, He will give us a far more blessed journey along the way!
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3 KJV
I always loved owning a pick-up truck, but that blessing brings with it the fringe benefit of being asked to help every time one of your friends moves. So on a chilly winter day, as I was stacking as many boxes, bags and other assorted things into my truck as possible I wondered again why non-truck owners assume that pick-ups are capable of hauling living room sets, refrigerators and washing machines all in the same load. By the third trip I was just hoping we were on the last run when we got around to some final boxes. To her credit, our friend Susan, had already transported her dog, a couple of cats and a fish tank in her car. But along with her last boxes were two large cages with her parrots. “Can they ride up front with you?” Susan asked me as I started carrying out the first.
“I don’t know, I think there is only room for one.” I wearily answered. So after plopping bird #1 on the passenger seat and buckling him in, I proceed to wedge bird #2 in between boxes in back and covering him carefully with a blanket. “He’ll be fine! ” I assured her with an unconvincing smile. Ten miles down the road I was hoping my words of comfort would be true as the temperature of Northeastern Pennsylvania in December is a bit lower than their native Brazil. Parrot #1 who rode up front dozed off in the warm cab and napped most the way to his new home. But as I pulled in front of Susan’s new place I was just hoping that Parrot #2 was still alive. As quickly as I could I jumped out, unlashed his cage, and gently carried him into the house. When we pulled back the blanket, thankfully we discovered that our parrot was fine, but cringing in silence, fearfully looking around, wondering what the heck just happened!
Those feathered friends reminded me of my own journey with Jesus. Unlike myself, Jesus has plenty of room for me to ride up front in his cab. If I choose, I can journey close by His side, can listen to His voice, and leave the driving to Him. But for all kinds of different reasons there are times when I decide to ride in the back. I am still in the same truck headed in the same destination, but on those trips I am missing the joy of traveling close to Jesus. I don’t need to be trembling at every sound and frozen in fear till the moment God pulls back the blanket in heaven. He has room up front for everyone who knows Him as Lord and Savior, which is why He said, “Don’t let your heart be troubled.” He has given us all the privilege of asking, “Father, I believe in you and love you with all my heart. Can I ride with You today?” He is delighted to carry every one of us, up front and close by His side!
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