Wednesday Morning Devotional

But Simon answered and said to him, “Master we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”  — Luke 5:5

Why do you obey God?  Really think about that question and try to formulate an answer before you read on.  I recently listened to a sermon that reminded me of one of those “Hell, fire and brimstone” sermons.  I’m certainly not against these, but they must be done well.  This one was not done so well.  Basically, the gist was that we must obey God or suffer the consequences.  We must forsake the wicked ways of this world because the punishment for not doing so is inevitable.  This, of course, is true, but also incomplete.

As hard as I tried as a young, beginning Christian, I could not do right.  There was part of my problem; I looked at it as “doing right” instead of “being obedient.”  Anyway, I honestly believed God would send me to Hell for a lot of the stuff I was doing and would find myself doing it anyway.  I would ask for forgiveness and hope that my life wasn’t about to end like the rich man’s in Luke 16.  My primary motivation to do right was fear.  Despite my fear, I had a major problem; I still loved the sinful things that I was doing.  I can only imagine how silly I looked promising God, “I’ll never do it again,” when He and I both knew that I would.

Too often, God is presented as bad medicine.  He is good for you, but He tastes horrible.  I feel like Peter thinks of Jesus this way at this precise moment.  “We’ve toiled all night” is his way of saying “I don’t want to.”  “And caught nothing,” is his way of saying “I don’t think it will do any good.”  “Nevertheless, at thy word,” is reluctant obedience.  But, it is obedience nonetheless.

There was a series of things that I reluctantly obeyed that changed everything for me.  The place called Hell ceased to be the primary motivating factor and I obeyed simply because Jesus said to in the Bible.  It is very important to note that I did not want to do any of them, but I did them anyway.

“Nevertheless, at thy word, I will obey.”

Which of Christ’s commands do you have the hardest time obeying?    What makes you hesitate and not want to obey?

Maybe He is asking you to end a toxic relationship.

Maybe He is asking you to carve out time each day for just you and Him.

Maybe He is asking you go to work or school today with a great attitude.

Maybe He is asking you to take on or be a part of a ministry.

Think long and hard.  What are the nets in your life He is asking you to let down that you just don’t want to let down?

Would you let them down anyway, just because Jesus asks you to?

Peter did, and man did he receive a blessing . . . and it wasn’t just fish.

Later

Adam

Because of my integrity you uphold me, and you set me in your presence forever. –Psalm 41:12

I remember signing an academic honesty statement at Clemson University. It basically said that I would not cheat in any way whatsoever in any of my classes. The idea is that if a student has academic integrity, the grades they receive are the grades they actually earned. In 2007, thirty thousand students were anonymously questioned about cheating. 60.8% of the respondents admitted that they have cheated. In every poll I’ve ever seen, the number is always between 50% and 75%.

Most students lack integrity.

The word integrity evolved from the Latin word integer. As a math teacher, I have used the word integer quite frequently. Integers are defined as positive and negative whole numbers. Fractional values and decimal values are incomplete and therefore don’t get to be called integers.

In my main verse for this WMD, David says God holds him up and allows him to experience His presence because of his integrity. There is no partiality with David. In God, he is whole. He is complete.

In the Christian life, a follower of Jesus must have integrity. Every man and woman who calls himself or herself a Christian must have no disconnect between their words and their actions. What they say they believe and the way they actually live must match up or they lack integrity.

Integrity for me is an ever-increasing thing. I had too many years as a teenager and young adult where I had no integrity. I called myself a Christian, but I acted just like the world. I would actually tell people I was a Christian, then turn around and say and do sinful things; things I knew in my heart went directly against God and His commands. Consequently, I never felt like God was really with me.

There was a specific moment in time where integrity started to mean something to me. God was allowing me to sink in life. I had no integrity; therefore He had neither reason nor obligation to hold me up. I knew men who experienced His Presence and I wanted what they had. The only difference in our lives was the fact that they actually seemed to live out their faith in God; I only talked about it. Therefore, I knelt beside my bed asked God to help me start actually doing Christianity.

Life has never been the same. He has never failed to hold me up. In addition, He sends me a very real sense of His presence at just the right times. His eyes are constantly circling the globe looking for hearts fully committed to Him.

Is your heart completely committed to Him? Are your words and your actions integrated?

Examine yourself today. Does what you say you believe and how you actually live match up? Do you feel like God is holding you up? Are you experiencing His Presence?

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Amen.

Later

Adam

Before the Service Begins

I was glad when they said unto me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” – Psalm 122:1

Psalms 122-134 are called the Psalms of Ascent.  I like to call them the songs of preparation.  They were actually the songs the Israelites would meditate upon and sing on the way to church.  For many, this was quite a lengthy trip and they purposefully made great use of their time.  By the time they got to the Temple, their hearts and minds were prepared to be in the presence of God Almighty.

This makes me wonder:  How much do today’s Christians prepare before entering what they believe is the House of God?

As bad as I hate to admit this, I do much better now that I am the preacher than I did as an attender.  My “ascent” often begins with a one or two mile walk around my neighborhood.  I just pray and really make sure that I’m in tune with the Holy Spirit.  I empty myself as much as possible to be clean before Him.  Then, I get the family up and going at a time where we will not be rushed to get ready.  We have a “no electronics for entertainment” rule until after the service.  On the way to church, we generally have conversations about life and honoring God.  We prepare to go to the house of the Lord.

I have found that when I prepare, I feel the presence of God in some way regardless of what happens in the service.  I also find that I am super sensitive to others who have made the proper preparations.  If the song leader and preacher, along with most of the congregation have prepared properly, then get prepared to feel the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  There is nothing else on planet Earth like it.  Could you imagine what it felt like in the Temple if all of the attenders from all directions really had these songs in their heart, sang them, meditated on them, and were enjoying God even before they arrived?

If I am honest, when I was simply a church attender with no responsibilities, I never even thought about preparing my heart.  I wasn’t glad when it was time to go.  I got ready in pretty much the same manner I went to work.  I was only glad if the band played a song or two that I really liked.  I was only glad if the youth group was doing something cool.  I was only glad if a preacher that I really liked gave a really great message.  I was completely dependent on the preparation of others. Consequently, my church experiences would be hit or miss.  Usually, if it was a hit, it was only because someone else had made the proper preparations, not because I had made mine.

How do you “ascend” to the House of God?  How do you prepare yourself and your family for the worship service?  How do you build anticipation?  Do you get to go to the house of the Lord?  Or, do you have to go to the house of the Lord?   How should the hours leading up to the start of the service look?

If the service starts at specific time, arrive before that time.  As much as possible, make sure you never feel rushed.  Every moment should feel peaceful and enjoyable as you prepare to enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise.  When you do arrive, be purposeful in your talk.  Football, TV shows, movies and Facebook are nice to talk about, but not right before you offer up praise to Almighty God.  Make it all about Him!

We have an amazing opportunity every week to prepare to meet God and experience Him; let’s not waste any of them.

Later

Adam

Whoever abides in Him does not sin.  Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.  – 1 John 3:6

I like hiking, but I do not love it.  Scott McGaha, the same one who happens to write the occasional WMD, loves it.  When I go, I totally trust him to lead me somewhere really great.  I do love hanging out with him, burning a boatload of calories, and seeing the payoff of the unbelievably beautiful waterfalls in our area.  The sound, the sight, and the feeling of accomplishment are more than worth it.

But, here’s the thing; I’m not willing to figure out how to get to these places.  I’m not willing to explore, and I’m not willing to take a chance.  I will only go if Scott has already done it, knows exactly where it is, and tells me that I will see a cool waterfall.  Not to mention, he carries all of the real necessities in a pack that weighs about five times the rinky-dink thing I carry.

I’m just not that serious.

When I read verses like 1 John 3:6, or all of 1 John for that manner, I think, “John is serious about this stuff!”  I look around at all of the people who call themselves Christian, including myself, and wonder if they take it serious.  How little would it take for them to sin?  John plainly says, “If you sin, you don’t know Him.”

Of course, in walks the American response:  “But, but, but, everybody sins . . . nobody is perfect!”

John is obviously talking about false converters.  People who say, “I know Him,” yet do not keep the most obvious of commandments, are liars (1 John 2:4).  I had to come to a point, about five years after “conversion”, where I had to admit that I just wasn’t that serious about Christianity.  One of my college friends, who made no claim to Christianity, flat out told me that even though I called myself a Christian, I cussed like him, drank alcohol, even though I wasn’t old enough, like him, and was sexually immoral, just like him.

What was I going to say?  I had been put in my place with no response.  But, my conscience was seriously ignited.  When I thought about it, the only times I didn’t sin was when I had no access to my favorite sins.  Soon after that, I became a committed Christian.  Soon after that, God became real, like for-real real.

Our American version of Christianity stinks.  We have come up with this “say a prayer” Christianity that is offered nowhere in Scripture.  When you go all-in, it will cost you.  God will come after the worldly things and sinful behaviors that you love.  You will descend straight into the valley of testing that, to you, will be the valley of the shadow of death.  There, if you hold firm to your faith, you will learn that He is with you.  God Himself is with you!  When you really grab a hold of that, you are ruined to sin.  You have finally learned the greatest lesson in life:  The Presence of God is ten thousand times better than any sin or pleasure that this world offers.  You no longer have to keep His commands . . . you want to.  This is precisely why John says, “If you sin; you don’t know Him.”

If have called yourself a Christian for years and years, and His love hasn’t changed you, you are no more a Christian than I am a hiker.

Later

Adam

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. – Psalm 51:11

I go through spells of not hearing from God. Sometimes I go immediately to war and wrestle with Him as Jacob did. I just will not let Him go until He blesses me. Other times, I just go mind numb, at least that’s what I call it. Days, sometimes weeks go by and it’s like there is a wall between Him and me. It is a wall that only works one way. I know He hears me . . . I just can’t, or maybe I just won’t, hear Him.

During these times I find myself doing things out of the ordinary. I have rotten attitudes towards certain people. I think things and sometimes even say things I immediately regret. I flip through TV channels and watch things I just do not watch. When these things are happening in my life, I find that time seems to zip right on by and I’ve not really had joy and peace in my heart.

I then start to ponder which is the real me. Is it the one who communes with God regularly and tries with every fiber of his being to obey Him? Or, is it the one who can turn to useless things so quickly when the presence of God seems far away?

Every time this happens, my mind relives a conversation I had with Him about 20 years ago. In fact, I just woke up from a dream where I lived it once more. I knew back then He was calling me to a devotional lifestyle. After 5 years of calling myself a saved Christian, He wanted me to study His Word; drop friends who cared nothing about Him or His ways, and begin to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit He had placed inside my heart. For whatever reason, I repeatedly refused. I had counted the cost and just didn’t think I could pay. “Adam,” He said, “If you do not obey my call, you will hear my voice no more.”

I didn’t know it then, but I was at the greatest crossroads of my entire life. For days, I thought about what it would really be like to not have God whispering and pointing me in the right direction, regardless of the fact that, up until then, I had pretty much done the complete opposite of what He said. I decided that I wanted Him above anything and everything else this world offered. I told Him He could have my life and I would live in devotion to Him.

It was my first prayer from the Bible that I didn’t even know existed at the time:

“Please God, take not your Holy Spirit from me.”

I know now which one is the real me. It is the one who goes mind numb and begins that slow drift of behaving just like the world. The only reason there is any good in me is because God placed His Holy Spirit in me and has not taken it from me. If He never let me go through these spells, I know I would become prideful and arrogant, which is every bit as bad as being sinful and disobedient.

When is the last time you spoke to Him, felt Him, or heard His unmistakable voice?

If it has been a while, this prayer has sure been a help to me . . .

“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”

Amen

Adam

Scott McGaha wrote this devotioanal.
It’s funny to me how God can speak to us. I think that’s the one thing I never quite understood or had explained to me, how to listen to God. Once I started to understand, and trust me I’m no expert, I started to see Him in almost anything and everything. From hot dogs to waterfalls, sunsets to school musicals, He has touched my heart and soul so many times in the last few years that sometimes I feel a deep sadness as I wonder how much I must have missed in all the years before I learned to listen. Today, it was through some coins.

I’ve never been very good at saving money, but one thing I do like to do is save coins in old jars and bottles. Some might say it’s because I’m a hoarder, but don’t listen to them. Several years ago someone told me there was an error in the minting of the Connecticut state quarter and that the front and back were backwards. So, everytime I get a Connecticut state quarter, I keep hoping when I flip it over that oak tree will be upside down. Sadly, it never has, and until today I’d never even thought any more about it. But today the thought hit me: “I wonder how much one is worth?” After looking, I’m not sure that’s the actual error on the quarter. However, it did open up a window for God to speak and that’s what I want to share with you.

As I was looking at the various minting errors on coins through the years, what amazed me was the value of some of them. Something I’ve never been able to understand is why people are willing to spend so much money on something that’s actually an error? Why would you pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a mistake? Did you know that in 2011, a 1975 Roosevelt dime that did not have the “S” mint mark for San Francisco sold for $349,600? A dime. The monetary equivalent of 2 nickels or 10 pennies. And just because there’s an “S” not stamped on the dime, someone believed so strongly in it and wanted it so much that they were willing to pay $349,600 for it. Be honest, does that sound as crazy to you as it does to me?

But, it gave God the opportunity to speak and say this: I thought so highly of you and valued you so much that I was willing to pay the greatest price.

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.” -John 3:16 (GNT)

But wait, there’s more: you are not a mistake. You and I, we make plenty of them, but God is perfect and He does not.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” -Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

The older I get, the more things that hurt on my body and the more things that either break on or fall off of my body. In many ways, I’m like an old car. I even squeak like one sometimes. On my very best days I never feel like I’m worth $349,600. Barely $3.49. But you know what? The same Creator who carefully positioned the sun and moon in their place, who crafted those beautiful rings around Saturn, who flung stars across the heavens as far as any telescope can see, says I am worth so much that He would give His only Son to die for me. I may not always feel like it, especially when I’ve messed up and disappointed Him, but the value He sees in me never diminishes. And when I think about that, I am overcome with gratitude and the tears begin to flow. And, I smile. And you know what? He feels the exact same way about you. Trust me, you’re worth it.

God bless,

Scott

“…Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”  — Hebrews 12:1,2

I believe the absolute worst thing about the American version of Christianity is that we want to keep our sin along with our salvation.  We love money, so we call it “prosperity, or being “blessed by God.”  We like our immorality, so we go ahead and call sinful behavior “issues” that we are “born with” and therefore can’t do anything about.  We like our entertainment, so it doesn’t matter to us if the movie or the concert has f-bombs or takes the Lord’s Name in vain. 

But, here is the thing:  If you choose salvation through Christ Jesus, our main verse says you are to lay aside sin.  In the context of the verse, it is so heavy that you can’t carry it and run the race of following Jesus.  Sin keeps you from ever leaving the starting gate.  The first move of salvation is to repent.  One who does not know Jesus must pray to Him and ask for the forgiveness of his or her sins.  I remember doing this as a teenager.  I also remember being clean for about three days; I very quickly and very easily picked my sin right back up and carried it with me.  I do remember it being a conscious decision.  I knew what was right, but I chose to do wrong.

I didn’t realize it then, but it kept me from running the race.  I went to church, so everyone, including myself, figured that I was running.  I would be in college before I would have a serious awakening.  I was talking with one of my friends about religions.  His attitude was that they were basically all BC (That’s the Christian version of BS).  I told him about Christianity and why I believed it.  He proceeded to tell me how it obviously made no difference in my life because I behaved no differently than he did.  That completely shut me down because I had no defense.

I was still carrying my sin.  I hadn’t covered any of the ground that I thought I had covered.  I was still at the starting line.  I might have thought I was running, but the lost people around me knew better.  I was completely ineffective to the lost people who really knew me.  They were supposed to see my life as a contrast to their own.  Instead, it was pretty much the same.

 In a similar way, I believe that is where the American church is today.  We say we believe in Jesus Christ.  Most Christians have probably asked for the forgiveness of their sins.  Yet, the majority of them found out quickly that laying sin down and leaving it there is a lot harder than it sounds.  Therefore, we pick it right back up and become ineffective for the kingdom.  The world sees us being angry because love, joy, and peace is a fruit of the Spirit and can only be developed while running the race.  The world sees us being very demanding and controlling because patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are fruits of the Spirit that can only be developed while running the race.  The best part of it though, is that if you will really and truly lay your sin down, and I mean the known sins that you are very much aware of, the fruits of the Spirit you have will be authentic.  Love, joy and peace will not be these temporary things that the world will see only when our circumstances are perfect.  When things don’t go our way, it will not be possible for them to rightfully call us hypocrites.

The only way to win our country back for God is for the Americans who call themselves Christians to really lay down their sin.  No more name-calling, no more judging of people who make no claim of believing as we believe.  No more arrogance and looking down upon anyone . . . but for the grace of God, we would be exactly the same.

Ask yourself, “Is there is any known sin that I am willfully carrying around?”  If the answer is “yes,” set it down and start running the race for real.  Until you do, you haven’t even started.

Later

0
0
1
601
3429
LCC
28
8
4022
14.0

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
JA
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

Adam

If you love me, you will obey my commands. – John 14:15

So, I am competing for the first time at the National Scrabble Championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I was actually doing pretty well, until today. I am currently 13.5-14.5. The .5’s mean that I tied a game. Here is the thing about the national tournament; the more you win, the more you play people with similar records as you. The cream rises to the top so to speak. Here is what I have found out; some (like me) like playing the game, others love it.

The difference is not subtle. The game is all they talk about. I saw the 2^nd edition Scrabble dictionary of the nation’s top player. Absolutely every word on every single page has a note or some mnemonic device written next to it. He is constantly looking in that book. So far, in this tournament, he is averaging 445 points against the best players in the world. I, on the other hand, am averaging 352 against the not best players in the world. He averages almost a hundred points more than me per game! I really like the game, but he loves it. He puts in hours a day, while I only put in minutes. He is the number one ranked player in North America.   I am ranked 996th.

So, what is the point?

When it comes to Christianity, some people like Jesus, others love Him. The difference is not so subtle.

People that like Jesus will go to church, sometimes. They will read the Bible, occasionally. They will throw a $20 in the offering plate, every once in a while. They will even pray, if some need has arisen in their lives that they can’t do anything about. They may acknowledge that they are Christians, but their hearts are not fully committed to being His disciple. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8)

Now, to be fair, even Jesus Himself said being His disciple is hard: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Nobody wants to deny themselves the pleasures and comforts of this world, and absolutely nobody wants the image of carrying a bloody cross to their deaths in their minds. However, for the few that choose to go all in, they find that it is in this laying down of their lives that they truly find real life.

Something in me wants to put the kind of time it takes into being National Scrabble Champion someday. But, a much bigger part of me knows that it would radically dig in to my time with the Lord. The only reason I can preach Sunday after Sunday is because I do study the Bible, I do make a daily attempt to live it out, I do listen to countless numbers of sermons, and I do read tons and tons of old books about serving God; books written by people that I believe really did love Him. I know that I can’t serve both Him and Scrabble, not completely, and I’m more than ok with that. I write this not for you to feel sorry for me, but as a very small picture of what self-denial looks like. It isn’t a sad thing, but it does vehemently fly in the face of “The American Way.” You see, I told Jesus 20 years ago that He could have my life, like really have it. When it comes down to it, I would much rather hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” than to be recognized as the champion of a board game.

So, do you like Him? Or, do you love Him? Do you at least know the difference?

Here are a few notes to help you answer the question honestly:

We live in a hyper-sexualized society where absolutely every ounce of media says, “if it feels good, do it.” In fact, I just watched “Ghost” in my hotel room. The two “evil” guys laundering money and doing whatever it took to cover it up were dragged straight to Hell by demons immediately upon death. Yet, Good ole Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) floated right off to Heaven despite being sexually immoral. Surely, Christians at least know that the standard has been set by God and the standard is clear; if you are in a sexual relationship with absolutely anybody you are not married to, you might like God, or at least the idea of Him, but you cannot say that you love Him because you don’t obey His command to flee sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 3:18)

Then, there is this whole idea that some particular group’s lives matter the most. If you claim to be a Christian, Jesus has set our standard and made it clear; If there is a group of people, or even a single person that you wish harm upon, you might say you like Jesus, but you aren’t even close to actually being like Jesus because you reject His command to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. “Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15)

If you never spend alone time with Him, and I mean just you and Him, you have to at least question your relationship with Him. Who or what are you really living for?

I am not saying that because someone sins that they are not Christian; of course I realize that we all fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) However, if there is any God given command that you do not want to obey, that should concern you greatly. Pray fervently; pray consistently; and pray relentlessly for God to change your heart and mind and conform you to His image. I don’t want to do anything for God because I have to . . .

I want to because I love Him.

Later

Adam

My friend, Scott, wrote today’s devotional.

I love hot dogs. I know what you’re thinking, major spiritual insight there Scott. But, it’s true, I do, and just this past week we had a hot dog sale fundraiser where I work. It only helped fuel an idea that was already starting to take shape in my head, and that, I hope and pray, will be a spiritual lesson for you today. So, to repeat my initial statement, I love hot dogs. They are probably a top 5 food item for me. I’ve had very few hot dogs in my life that I’d say were bad. Most have been somewhere between good and very good. But in 42 years, when talking about hot dogs I could purchase consistently and not just homemade or something like that, two hot dogs have always stood out to my palette as the best.

One is the Dairy Queen’s. For as long as I can remember, I have loved the hot dogs from the Dairy Queen. The best part was, it didn’t matter which Dairy Queen, the hot dogs always tasted the same. But despite that, it was pretty heartbreaking when the one in Walhalla closed down. Still, any chance I get to stop when I see a Dairy Queen on the road, I do, and the hot dogs are still as delicious as ever.

The other was a more unique place. Growing up in Salem, SC, we didn’t have too many things we could brag about to the rest of the county. We didn’t have many stores, we didn’t have any traffic lights, and even now, we still don’t. But one thing we could always brag on was we had a McDonald’s. No, not the franchise chain with the golden arches and Ronald the clown. Ours was a local mom-and-pop diner owned and operated by George and Bertha McDonald. I don’t remember ever getting anything that wasn’t good. The hamburgers were fantastic, the milkshakes delicious, and in my mind, the hot dogs were as good as they got. The chili was spicy but not hot and where the wiener met the bun it was just soft and moist and tasted so good.

When McDonald’s closed back around the late 80’s/early 90’s, that hot dog that I loved seemed forever lost. Over the years I’ve tried them from all sorts of places, searching for something like that taste from my youth, but never finding anything that was even close, in my opinion. That is, until a couple of years ago when a friend and I had been hiking up around Jones Gap State Park and on our way back home decided to stop at the F Mart in Cleveland, SC to see if we could find something to devour.

Despite going by the place countless times over the years on my way to sporting events, I had never been inside the old family owned store. To our surprise when we walked in, we realized it was also a little diner. They had already shut down about everything, but they did have some hot dogs left. It was music to my ears, so I ordered a couple to go, no onions!! Once we were back out on Highway 11 headed back toward Walhalla, I took my first bite of an F mart hot dog, and for the first time in probably 20+ years, I tasted a hot dog that was as close to the ones from McDonald’s as I ever had. It was like Christmas had come early for me!!

Since then, I try to stop every time I’m in that area, but occasionally I can’t stand the craving any longer, and I hop in my car and take a drive north on Highway 11 for 43 miles and I go get me a bag of hot dogs, usually at least 4, sometimes 6. And you know what? It’s worth every mile. Sometimes I’ll find something along the way to stop and see, but other times I just enjoy the drive, the views, maybe the music on the radio, but especially the taste of those hot dogs and the memories they conjure up.

Which now brings me to the spiritual lesson God showed me in all this. To have one of my favorite hot dogs, when I want it bad enough, I’m willing to drive 43 miles one way to go get one. What God asked me, and what I’m asking you, is how far would you be willing to go for Him?

How far would you go to explain His word to someone and tell them about Jesus? In Acts 8:26-39, we read about an angel of the Lord telling Philip to go out to a place where he would encounter an Ethiopian eunuch. He would end up explaining to the man the scripture that he was reading, telling him that the scripture was about Jesus, then baptizing him. Philip traveled about 30 miles.

How far would you go to see Jesus be born into someone’s heart and life? In Luke 2:1-7, we read about a decree going out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken. Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea and there Jesus was born. They traveled about 90 miles.

How far would you go to see your destiny fulfilled, even if it didn’t all makes sense and you would have to endure the betrayal of not only friends but family as well? In the book of Genesis, chapter 37 and chapters 39-50, we read about the life of Joseph. God revealed to Joseph at a young age, through dreams, that he was going to one day be in a prominent position in society. But anger and jealousy led his brothers to sell him into slavery, his owner would eventually have him thrown into jail because of lies, and the people he helped while in jail then forgot about him for a long time. But, it all eventually took Joseph from Canaan to Egypt where, in time, he would rise to that promised position and help save a nation of people. Despite all of his struggles, Joseph was ultimately able to tell his brothers “you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”(Genesis 50:20) Joseph’s journey took him about 200 miles to his place of destiny. How far would you go?

How far would you go to see Jesus? In Matthew 2:1, scripture says that Magi, or wise men, came from the east to Jerusalem to see Jesus. One writer estimates that these men may very well have traveled for 1500 miles or more, spanning more than a year, just to get to see Jesus. How far would you be willing to go? In Matthew 7:14, Jesus said “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

To live for Jesus is not easy. People will mock you and laugh at you and eventually leave you. Despite the fact that what we’re all searching for is found in Him, most will turn to every other option under the sun before they will ever turn to Him. As Jesus said Himself, only a few find it. So my question to you is simple: how far are you willing to go? Are you willing to walk through life alone, if that’s what it takes to get to heaven and see Him? Are you willing to walk away from your plans and dreams in order to find His will and purpose for your life? And if you already have decided to follow Jesus, then how far are you willing to go to share the Good News with others? I hope the answer is as far as it takes. That’s what may be required. But like my hot dogs, it’s worth going as far as you have to. Just make sure you leave off the onions.

God bless, Scott