Travel

Welcome Home!

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All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 ESV

Though we had traveled quite a bit around the United Staes to visit our families, my wife and I had never been overseas till were invited to visit friends in Switzerland. Naturally, we delightedly accepted and as the time grew closer, we anxiously awaited our passports to arrive in the mail. Then, after months of planning the day finally arrived and we headed off to the airport. Once in the air my wife was completely at peace and enjoying the flight, but the long hours over the ocean was a little intimidating for me, and it took more than a few quick prayers to calm my nerves. The ten days of our visit passed quickly, and when the day of our return came, we were sad to leave our friends, yet happy to be going home. After landing back in New York, of course had to pass through customs, and with our still shiny new passports gripped in our hands, we waited patiently in line. But as we stepped to the front and handed them to the officer, we were startled to hear him say, “There is a problem here.”

A bit sleepy from the long flight home, his words jolted me wide awake. “What problem?” I asked in confusion.

“These passport aren’t valid.” He replied, “You never signed them!”

“Oh no!” I exclaimed. “I am so sorry! We’ve never traveled out of the country before, and I had no idea!” I pleaded.

The gentleman gave me a smile of assurance then quietly said. “Well I’m not supposed to do this but just go to the back of the line and sign them. Then we’ll try again.”

Relief swept over us as we hurriedly made our way to the end of the line, found the page where our signatures needed to be and hurriedly signed. This time as we handed our passports to the officer he grinned, stamped them, and said, “Welcome home!”

Just like the wandering sheep in today’s verse we had a serious problem. We knew where we needed to be, we had no right to go there because we had never signed the documents. In the same way, God has provided eternal salvation to everyone who will put their faith in Jesus, but we have a part to play, by personally signing our name on the line. Our entrance is assured by grace, but each of us must personally receive it by faith. Only then will our entry be assured so that when we arrive at Heaven’s gate, we will hear the Father calling out, “Welcome Home!”

Driving Through the Notch

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Even though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 ESV

During times of crisis, it is natural to be fearful. A few years ago, our airwaves were filled with the constant reports of quarantines and businesses shutting down. There had never been anything like it in our lifetimes, and we wondered what would happen next. Today, there are other crises happening that are like the dark valley of death in today’s verse. Each of us faces a little different valley, but what remains the same is that as we go through them, we have a hope because we have a good shepherd. whose name is Jesus, and He has promised to walk with us all the way through.

Outside the city where I was born lies a long valley called Sugar Hollow. It is a notch between the hills through which the main road coming up from the South runs into town. It is a pretty stretch of road, but one strange thing about Sugar Hollow is that as you drive into it during afternoon rush hour, it gets dark early. Everyone begins to flick on their headlights because the surrounding hills block out the sun, in the Hollow. All around it begins to look as if night has fallen; but as you round the final bend of the road that leads out of the valley, the shadows draw back, and the sun reappears as if saying “You made it through the notch again! Welcome home!” 

Prayer: Father God, help me to trust you in the valley I am walking through today and to remember that you have promised to be with me all the way through!
Photo by Z N on Pexels.com

Are We There Yet Dad?

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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 ESV

“Are we there yet dad?” our two sons asked in unison from the back seat. In spite of the fact that before we left. we had told them that our trip would take three days, they wanted to know exactly when we would get to our destination. Most of us can chuckle, at memories like that, yet we as adults we are often asking the same questions, only in more adult sounding ways. Now we clamor to know about new laws, our preferred candidate or a more business friendly economic policy. In the midst of this hyper-combative election year, we hear the candidates from both parties calling for peace in the Middle East, climatological peace, and peace in Ukraine, just to name a few issues. But Jesus tells us that real peace is not attainable in this world. Amazingly in today’s verse, just as Jesus is about to be arrested, beaten and crucified, He promises us a peace that looks nothing like the world’s variety. His kind of peace is not a goal: it is a gift. So, this morning, whether we are facing a natural disaster, political upheaval, or war, God offers us a peace to rule in our hearts, no matter who wins the election, what happens in Israel or even in our own families. But the peace that Jesus offers means letting go of this world’s counterfeit peace, letting Him do the driving and trusting that He knows when we will get there!