GET TOGETHER – JOURNEY ON CHILD OF GOD

Isa 43:1 ,2 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
When we first surrendered to go full time into the Pastorate the Holy Spirit gave me this passage. At that time, we decided to go on a journey with the Lord that has had challenges and it has had many, many blessings.
Week before last J.J. and I were going on another journey. We were going to Springfield, Missouri to help our son Jake put on a basketball tournament and spend some time with his family as well. We left around 5:P.M heading to Jonesboro, Arkansas where we would spend the night and get up and drive what normally is about a four-hour drive to Springfield the next morning.
When we got up it was snowing. My first inclination after looking at the roads was to head back to Alabama. However, as so often she does J.J. encouraged me to continue the journey. As we were going through the flat areas outside of Jonesboro there was ice, and snow on the roads and there was hardly any traffic. I knew that about fifteen miles ahead we would be going into the Ozark Mountains. I was very concerned about that to say the least.
In 2013 I had gone with a group of men on a ministry trip to Macedonia. One day we were driving to Philippi to see where Paul and Silas had been put in jail. We had to go over some of the highest most treacherous mountains that I have ever been on that were covered with ice and snow.
We had a good driver that day who was also a good friend. When we were outside of Jonesboro, I said I sure would like to have him with us today to drive us across these mountains. It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said that it wasn’t my friend that got us across those mountains, Although God certainly used him. It was God that made it possible. And He told me to trust Him, and He would get us across those mountains that we were about to go across. He then reminded me of the above passage. Although we weren’t going through fire the principle was the same. We must trust God in all situations.
When we began to go up into the mountains, we noticed that the roads were better. As we were driving, we noticed how beautiful that it was up in those mountains. We would see lakes that were surrounded by snow. And we counted eight snowplows that the Lord had placed on the mountain. We made it to Springfield and had a wonderful time at the tournament and with Jake, Tommye, Eli and Hannah. While we were there we met some wonderful Christian students who are really dedicated to the Lord and made several new friends.
There were several things that the Lord taught me about that in relationship to our journey with Him. When we are on our journey with Him there may be situations and circumstances that the enemy would use to tell us to turn around and to not continue the journey. But we have to be like the Apostle Paul said and keep moving forward : Php 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
For every challenge there is a blessing on the other side of it. Mountains can be things that attempt to inhibit us from fulfilling our destiny. Jesus said that we could command those mountains to go Mr 11:23 “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Also, as we experienced mountains can be places of great beauty and we experience what God has created in a very special way. And the mountains can be places where we experience God in a very special way: Re 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,(NKJV)
When we journey with the Lord there will always be challenges that try to hinder us from experiencing His goodness and reaching our destination. But I am reminded of a passage from the Psalms that reminds us of the faithfulness of God even when we walk through the tough places in our journey with Jesus Christ: Ps 84:5-7 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. Don’t turn back. The Lord will always supply the snowplows, or whatever we need.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your faithfulness. today by the power of the Holy Spirit help us to keep moving forward in this glorious journey with you.
In Jesus Name
Amen

Love You All
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston