“It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 3,4).
When John says that he prays for it to “go well with you,” that literally means, “have a good journey.”
When it comes to our plans at CrossLife Church for building a church and Christian academy, let’s not focus so much on the destination—the goal—that we lose out on the blessings of the journey to get there.
In the Bible, the apostle John encourages us to walk.
Being willing to walk is like a child walking with a parent. Sometimes that child wants to run—like at the pool—and mom or dad says, “Slow down!” for the child’s own safety. The child doesn’t understand quite yet the risks involved with slippery concrete, so mom and dad set the pace.
God influences the pace of his people with precise, loving care. He told the Israelites that they should walk in the wilderness for 40 years, and then told their army to conquer Jericho by walking around it instead of attacking it with weapons. God directed Joseph and Mary to walk to Bethlehem at the inconvenient last minute for Jesus’ birth, then Jesus walked to the hill of death carrying his own cross, and after he rose from the dead he walked on the road to Emmaus with two disciples.
One common theme is all these journeys is discovery.
The people on the journeys wouldn’t have planned for it, but when they experienced it and found God in it, they discovered the truth. And the truth is always bigger than us, always better, and always more beautiful if we are willing to believe it.
Don’t run at your own pace, and don’t stop, either. Don’t give up. Don’t walk away. Don’t lie down and curl up into the fetal position. Keep walking. One step in front of the other, as Jesus leads and loves.
Ready to discover something that is only discoverable before you get to the destination.
PRAYER: God, you are the perfect guide who loves all of us who stray, get lost, take wrong turns or don’t know the way. With your direction, and your pace, we journey and arrive in truth and joy. Help me see your ways, walk on your paths, and find what you have waiting for me along the way. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Slow down, and use the PRAY acronym.
- Praise (tell God what you appreciate about him)
- Repent (tell God about your sins, trust in his promises of forgiveness)
- Ask (go ahead, think big, or focus on a small detail, God wants to hear it all)
- Yield (talk to God about the next step after you say “Amen,” how you want faith to lead the way, how you are willing to be part of his answer and see it develop for your good)