Acts 4:33 33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all….Hebrews 12:1b-2a…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith
If you are traveling along an interstate there are mile markers along the side of the highway that give you an indication of how many miles are left to the border of that state. For instance, the total distance of I-95 from north to south is 1920 miles and there are 382 miles in the state of Florida. Even longer is I-10 running 2,460 miles from west and east and there are 881 miles of it in the state Texas. The interesting thing is the mile marker numbering begins in the west going east and in the south going north. So, if you are travelling from the north to south or from the east to west you know how many miles you reach the border of that state. However, the opposite is true if you are travelling south to north or west to east. You only know how far you have travelled in that state.
Mile markers are helpful road signs because they inform us at what mile marker something is located like gas stations, hotels, attractions or food. Other times the markers will inform you how far it is to a certain destination for example on I-95 going either north or south you will find signs and billboards informing you how far it is to the infamous destination of South of the Border located on the North and South Carolina border.
In many ways our lives are like that. In our youth we knew how many years it would be until we could get a learner’s permit or driver’s license. We knew how many years it would be until we graduated from high school or college. We could also calculate how many years away it was until we reached a certain birthday that marked how many decades we lived or significant years of marriage; paper, silver diamond, gold.
While these are temporal mile markers in our lives, we also can find mile markers in our Christian life. Some marker are planned and can be celebrated like Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Weddings while others like traveling from west to east or south to north we do not know how long or how far, all we know is God has something in store for us to do or to accomplish. The one thing we know is that we are on a journey in which He has a destination for us to reach and a purpose and ministry to do along the journey.
Serving God is a journey whether we know the distance or not. It is about having faith and perseverance to trust God in all things. Along the way we know there will be trials and tribulations, there will be joy and amazement, there will be wilderness times and bountiful times, there will be periods of questions and there will be periods of answers. In all these experiences we know that God is with us even in His silence. We know that God is with us because we know the resurrection power of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads us, empowers us and enables us to persevere. We can have the assurance of this when we have an intimate relationship with Him.
The disciples were faced with many challenges when they were with Jesus, during the time of His death and resurrection, after His resurrection. Their ministry was met with resistance, with persecution, with welcome, with conflict and with reconciliation. What they were faced with the same things are faced with today. What kept them going was knowing it was not about themselves, it was about the ministry and faith that glorified God and led others to believe in Him and His grace, love and mercy.
Our call too is to share the resurrection power of our Lord Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit, the testimony of how God is and has worked in our lives and the lives or others. It is to share how He is perfecting us as we seek and do ministry for His glory.
May your prayer be: Lord Jesus, you are the author and perfecter of our faith in you. Let your power work in us and may our mile markers be a testimony to show and draw the world to your grace, love and mercy. May all come to know the power of your resurrection and joy of your saving grace. AMEN
The Rev. Dave Newhart 