Journeying in 2017
Entering this new year was just like beginning another year's journey in our lives. What are some things we must remember in a journey?
We must know our destination. Our destination is the thing we want to reach or attain in life. Because this is so important to us we will give our best effort, thinking and means to know and reach it. Since God is the creator of us all, He has the right to determined a common destination for all of us. He also has the right to assign ourdesignations and role in that destination which vary. What is our common destination? God. He wants us to be in intimate relationship with Him. He must be Lord and supreme over all our lives. We must honor and glorify Him with our commitment, obedience, love and service to Him. We must all live a life pleasing before Him. But in that destination we have various assignments. These are our duties and missions. They vary. What does God want us to do to serve Him? We must discover these and fulfill them with our best.
How do we get to our destination? Is there a map and/or a GPS? Yes, the map is the Bible. It shows us how we may get to God. It gives us the direction in life. So we must not tire of reading and knowing the message of the Bible. We must individually read it, and also join groups for Bible study. The GPS is the Holy Spirit. The GPS talks and you hear it with your physical ears. The Holy Spirit talks but we hear Him with our minds and hearts. When we read the Bible, when we pray, and in various situations the Holy Spirit speaks. How? He impresses on our minds and hearts His messages. Paul says, "The Spirit himself testifies to our own spirit- - -" (Rom. 8:16). It is a heart-to-heart talk. But how do we determine these are messages from the Holy Spirit, and not from other spirits? They should be consistent with what the Bible says.
In our journey there may be some misleading diversions that draw us away from the right way. These are the temptations that Satan sends to distract us. We must resist and overcome them by intently following the map (Bible) and the GPS (the still small voice of the Holy Spirit).
But in our own strength and wisdom we cannot walk the journey by ourselves. Yet, interestingly enough, God, who is our ultimate destination, is ever present with us along the journey. He supplies us with the strength and powerwe need. Our destination, which is our close fellowshipwith God, will extend beyond death to eternity. Christ promises, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).
Prayer: Lord, be with us throughout 2017 and all the ensuing years thereafter. Help us to persevere in our life journey that we may reach our destination in you triumphantly. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.
Pastor Jose V. Velasco
