The Thrill of the Ride
“It’s not a thrill, a prank or a joke.” If you have ever tried on clothes or gone to the bathroom at Walmart, you have seen that sign.
So many people in the world today are looking for the next big thing. Life is only good when it is thrilling.
Thrilling is different things to different people. For some it could be shop lifting (as Walmart knows having lost approximately $3 billion in merchandise last year!). For others it could be drugs or fast cars or ‘short-term’ relationships.
Many Christians face this challenge as well. Their walk with the Lord is directly related to how exciting life is at the moment. Mission trips, youth rallies, Christian music concerts and youth groups are all highlights of a Christian life. But what happens when these highlights become the determinants of a person’s faith? I have seen people make a profession of faith at one of these events and within a week or two after the fact it is like it never happened.
Our society is so gratification based that it can be difficult to understand that God is constant.
- Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
When God tells us something twice in a row it is generally because He wants us to understand it.
His word doesn’t say that He will always be with us and we will always have a good time. It doesn’t tell us that if we are going through hardship it is because He has turned His back on us. It is very clear, God will never leave us or forsake us. What an awesome promise!
It is easy for our relationship with God to become mundane. Life goes on and if we forget to read our Bibles or don’t get around to praying, well, life will still go on.
Have you ever had a friend from whom you slowly grew apart? Not that you had a fight or a falling out, you just didn’t connect as often after time until you were not connecting at all. Our relationship with God can be like that. He is always waiting to hear from us but there are times when we just don’t make the time to build the relationship.
Mountain top moments are great. They are rejeuvenating. The are motivating. They are distracting.
When we are focusing on the thrill of the ride, or the waiting for the next big thing, we can miss the blessings that God has for us right now…in the moment.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Enjoy the big things but remember that the biggest thing, the Lord Jesus, never changes. He is constant, no matter what is going on and He loves you even when there are no fireworks. For Elijah, it wasn’t the wind, earthquake or fire that showed him God, it was the still small voice. (1 Kings 19)
Are you listening?
