Renewing the Spirit | We love Traveling!

article by Reverend RB Moore

Most of us enjoy taking  vacations. Some people like to visit the sandy beaches of Florida, others prefer traveling to the mountains of North Carolina. Still others want to escape to far-off places, like Alaska or Europe. Yet whenever people travel, there are a few questions that need to be answered. “Where are we going?” “What are we going to take with us?” “Do you want to leave the children with your parents or mine?”

      Along this train of thought, there are also questions we may ask ourselves as we go on a spiritual journey. Let’s look at a couple of them together. First, “Where are we going?” Here’s one possible destination. Believers with pure hearts are on their way to see God. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Children of God, who develop pure hearts, are on their way to a deeper experience with God.  

      Speaking of seeing God, there once was a very eccentric lady who died. In her Last Will and Testament, she left all her worldly goods to God. In time, the Will went through probate. After some deliberations, the Judge ruled the Will invalid. In his own words the Judge explained, “God could not be found in this district.”

However, in the spiritual kingdom the pure in heart will see God, even in a godforsaken district. For in a spiritual sense, as you often pause long enough to “count your many blessings and name them one by one,” you purify your heart. Then in turn, a pure heart will improve your spiritual vision to see the activity of God.

      Here’s a second question to ponder as we travel in the spiritual kingdom. “What are we going to take with us?” Let’s consider just one answer among many. We are taking with us the gift of prayer. The Apostle John writes in 1 John 5:14-15…“ if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked of him.”  

  By way of illustration, years ago we had a car called The Burgundy Bomber. At one point, when we were cold, broke and hungry, the car’s transmission would not slide into reverse. To go in reverse, I’d put the car in neutral, open my driver’s side door, and then in a Nike sneaker or a Florsheim dress shoe, I’d push the car backward with my left foot! 

      If memory serves, one day our 10-year-old daughter had a piano recital in Shreveport. As I cranked up the Burgundy Bomber to leave, the red battery icon shined brightly on the dashboard. But since we didn’t want to be late, I figured we’d find a mechanic to check it out later. 

  However, about 25 minutes from Shreveport the car began to make coughing noises under the hood. It seemed, every 10-12 seconds, it started to jerk us back and forth as well. It felt like the car was ready to drop graveyard dead. I began to pray something like:    

      “Lord, I was foolish to take my daughter on a road trip after seeing a warning light. Even so, if you can please help us make it to the recital, we will have some friends there who can recommend a good mechanic. Thank you! Amen. P. S. I will try not to be so dense in the future.” 

      To make a long story longer, finally, our car kicked and wheezed into the parking lot next to our destination. It was only then that the engine sneezed one last time and gave up the ghost. My prayer had been answered! 

  To summarize, as we travel on our spiritual journey, we may sometimes pass through godforsaken places. Yet, as we consistently count our many blessings, we will eventually witness the presence of God. Plus, it’s key for the believer to travel with a prayerful attitude. Then in due season, God will answer some of our prayers in unforgettable ways! Thanks be to God. Amen.