The Wise Men Traveled from Afar and Your Walk of Faith will Take a While

It’s Monday and the special day is nearly upon us. Not much time left to get things done. So much preparation and then the day gets here before you know it. Our pastor was talking about the wise men who came to see the baby Jesus. We see the entire nativity story as one day’s events. But the story actually was spread out over a while. The fact that the wise men came “from afar” lets us know that they had to travel a distance to get there.  It may have taken days or even weeks to arrive. Even if they traveled on camels it would take a while.  They had to find shelter along the way, they had to avoid enemies and dangerous places.  They had to plan the trip and hope for good weather and might have even encountered sandstorms or worse.

Everything worthwhile takes planning and takes a while. Not many great things are done in a hurry or with haste. Our walk of faith is like the trip of the wise men. We are born again of incorruptible seed. But we must grow into Christ-likeness. We learn the Word, we go through things, we become overcomers and we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord.  Experience teaches us that Christ is all we need. Time teaches us that God is faithful. Study teaches us what the Word says, but the trip we take in the flesh seals the facts for us. We walk out our walk of faith and it takes a while. To become wise men and women of God will take our entire life.

God knows your hearts’ desires. He knows that you want things to be just right. He also knows that you want to hurry things along, including your faith.  It often seems, doesn’t it, that just as you feel you have arrived at the pinnacle of your faith walk, another mountain comes upon the scene and you must make it over. You want to “arrive” just as the wise men did. You want to sit at Jesus’ feet and let the world go by. But it takes time to live this life. It’s a trip worth taking, if you remember that your arrival, your final destiny, is to be with Jesus in heaven forever. Until then, this is a learning experience that takes time and effort and planning. There will be mistakes along the way and perils and troubles and trials. There will be times when the devil will work against you. Other times your flesh will try to reign supreme. And there’s always other people who disappoint, discourage, disagree and pronounce untruths on your life. Friends walk away, loved ones quit loving and life gets rough. Hard times will make you want to turn back, but God is with you, guiding, protecting, interceding and caring for you all the way.

Oh beloved, rejoice in this most blessed season while there is time. You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to be all He wants you to be, to go where He wants you to go and to be a living, visible sign that God has a plan for everyone’s life. You may feel unworthy, unprepared and undone much of the time along the way. But each and every mountain you face or valley you make it through is preparation for becoming more like Christ.  The Holy Spirit is guiding you, even in the hard times, for you have a destination just as the wise men all those years ago. Your destination is to live in heaven with Jesus forever. This is no demotion, this is your promotion.  So enjoy the trip, take plenty of the Word with you, along with peace, comfort, joy, abiding faith and enduring love.

Just as those wise men needed their travel needs to be met, you will need the whole council of God’s Word to make it, but beloved you are going to make it, because God loves you and He’s for you.  Because God’s plan for your life is surrounded and filled with His love and His care, you are an overcomer who will arrive at every checkpoint of faith, growing into His image on every turn. Keep traveling, keep walking and keep looking to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of your faith.

1 John 4:17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Colossians 3:10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Is Your Walk Wearing Thin?

I have a pair of tennis shoes I really love. They have always been very comfortable. Problem is they are starting to wear thin. I didn’t realize how thin they were until I was walking down my driveway to the mailbox. Between the drive and the street there are rocks. As soon as I stepped on those rocks it felt as though I had no shoes on at all! It hurt! And it was hard to walk! I found myself gingerly trying to avoid some of the bigger jagged rocks and feeling as though I might stumble or fall.

When shoes begin to wear out, their foundation – the sole – gets thin. Without a good solid foundation to walk on, you feel every little irritation and even thorns may shoot through to your tender feet. If not taken care of you can become injured and unable to walk. Ask a hiker or a biker – the shoes you have on make all the difference when you’re sidestepping boulders or avoiding road hazards.

Just like our natural bodies need a good set of shoes to walk without danger, our spiritual life must have a great foundation as well. Without the proper basis for our faith, we just might walk in anything, or find ourselves completely barefoot. There’s no way for us to be secure without our lives having strong protection.

There are many salespeople out in the world who will sell you a poorly made pair of shoes without any qualms.  There are many in the world who will sell you a poor imitation gospel as well.  For whatever reason, they’ve gotten hold of something that was never intended to fit you and most certainly will not protect you. It may make you feel good, it may look fashionable, it may be the right style, color and something everyone else has. But when the test of walking out your faith comes – it will not hold up.

Often we want to go around in faith sandals. We don’t want to do anything but stroll with God and tiptoe in the tulips of life. Then we wonder why things feel so bad. We wonder why we’re falling or stumbling or hurting in our faith walk. It may be time to check your shoes and make sure you have the right pair for the life God has asked you to walk.

Oh beloved, do you have your foundation secure? Are you walking out your faith, able to leap troubles, climb trials, overcome obstacles and face all your responsibilities? Rejoice that you are dressed by the best – the Lord Himself! He has provided exactly what you need for life and godliness so that you can travel wherever He sends you and endure. Yes, He will let you walk some easier roads, but this life of faith is full of pitfalls and jagged rocks. Thank Him today that you are His beloved and that because you are His beloved, He gave the ultimate price to give you a real faith that you can walk out all the days of your life! Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and have a wonderful walk with Him forever!

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s why you can trust His fit!

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (AMP)

Isaiah 33:6 In that day He will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure.

Ephesians 6:15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

Proverbs 10:25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.