Endurance for the Journey, Featured

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
Don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume you know it all.
PROVERBS 3:5-6 (THE MESSAGE)

Life is a puzzle where many of the pieces don’t fit. Especially at first, when the puzzle is dumped in our lap. It takes a while to sort through the pieces, to turn them all right side up to see the overall pattern, to spot the connections. I don’t think God holds it against us when we can’t understand everything that happens in this jigsaw world of ours. And especially because some of the key pieces to that puzzle are missing.

Maybe what God wants us to do is to put together as much of life’s puzzle as we can and then trust him with the missing pieces – however many those pieces may be, however large, however gaping the holes left in our theology may be as a result.

The question changes from “Why, God?” to “Can I trust Him with my unanswered questions?”

But those who trust in the Lord
will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will not walk and not faint.
ISAIAH 40:31 (NLT)

On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky

Endurance for the Journey, Featured

And I heard a loud voice saying,
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people,
and He will dwell with them.
They will be His people,
and God, Himself, will be with them
and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said,
“I am making everything new!”
Then He said, “Write this down,
for these words are trustworthy and true.
REVELATION 21:3-5 (NIV)

Some folks are afraid that when they get to heaven, they won’t recognize anyone. They are fearful that they won’t know a husband or wife of 35 years without a name tag pinned to the robe. Luke’s account of the transfiguration seems to settle that troubling question. Not only will you know your loved ones, it’s likely you’ll know everyone else too – even without an introduction.

When two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus, Peter immediately recognized them. He blurted out, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” (Luke 9:33). Yet how did Peter know those two men? They lived hundreds of years before Peter’s time, so he never met them. There were no photographs or artist’s sketches. How did he recognize them? He just knew them, that’s all.

The transfiguration was a preview of heaven … a place where there will be no need for introductions.

“We will recognize our loved ones in Heaven,
and they will recognize us.
Furthermore, the Bible indicates that we will know them
in a far deeper and closer way
than was ever possible on earth –
and without the imperfections and sins
that mar our human relationships on earth.”
BILLY GRAHAM

On the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky

Endurance for the Journey, Featured

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree
that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
And everyone went to his own town to register.
in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,
because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary,
who was pledged to be married to him
and was expecting a child.
LUKE 2:1,3-5 (NIV)

Unpleasant circumstances often have a way of being the best part of God’s most magnificent design. Consider Mary and Joseph’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where the Savior was to be born. This was no short hike, covering over 60 miles of rugged terrain. Despite Joseph’s attempt to make the trip comfortable, it must have been extremely difficult for Mary, into her ninth month of pregnancy, to make the three-day journey.

But God decreed to have His Son born in the City of David, and He used an external circumstance – a Roman census – to get the holy family from point A to point B. Sometimes we mistakenly think that only the right things, the comfortable things, are a part of God’s design. And when inconvenience or hardship hits, we wonder what went wrong.

Maybe nothing has gone wrong. Maybe we just need to realize that our most unpleasant circumstances, much like Mary and Joseph’s, often have a way of being the best part of God’s most magnificent design. God’s sovereign timetable is working in the life of your family too.

JONI EARECKSON TADA

And we know that God causes everything
to work together for the good of those
who love God and are called
according to His purpose for them.
PSALM 34:18 (NLT)

On the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky

Endurance for the Journey, Featured

“If you can?” said Jesus.
“Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed,
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
MARK 9:23-24 (NIV)

On this side of heaven, we are often like the man in Mark 9 who asked Jesus if he could do anything to help his demon-possessed son. Jesus replied, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” To which the man wisely and immediately exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Even though it is often difficult for us to pray when we find ourselves in the middle of great trials, that is exactly the time when we most need to pray. Every time we pray, whether it feels like it or not, we are brought into the very throne room of heaven. Jesus himself ushers our prayers into the presence of the Father, and that alone assures us that they will be heard and answered.

Prayer is a matter of obedience but it is also a matter of survival. Prayer is the lifeline of the soul and we cannot afford to do without it.

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven,
Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold firmly to what we believe.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses,
for he faced all the same testings we do,
yet he did not sin.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.
There we will receive his mercy,
and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
HEBREWS 4:14-16 (NLT)

n the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky

Endurance for the Journey, Featured

Taking the five loaves and the two fish
and looking up to heaven,
He gave thanks and broke the loaves.
Then He gave them to His disciples
to set before the people.
He also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied …
MARK 6:41-42 (NLT)

In Mark 6 we read the heartwarming story of how Jesus took the loaves, broke them, multiplied the fish, and gave everybody lots to eat with lots left over. They gathered baskets full of leftover bread so nothing would be thrown away.

I think about that story when I watch a Christian go through tough times yet hang on to God’s grace. Maybe you’re such a person. Day-to-day heartache is your routine, and problems seem to have a permanent place in God’s plan for you. What God is doing with you is like what He did with the barley loaves and fish. Jesus broke the bread. And out of the broken loaves of bread, He multiplied the blessing so thousands would be nourished.

Yes, it hurts to be broken. But sometimes that’s part of God’s plan, especially if He wants you to feed others. Out of your brokenness, the blessing can be bestowed on more people than you ever dreamed possible – and you can be certain nothing will be wasted. God will gather up and use all the hurt; not a bit of it will be discarded or cast aside.
JONI EARECKSON TADA

All praise to the God and Father of our Master,
Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy!
God of all healing counsel!
He comes alongside us when we go through hard times,
and before you know it,
He brings us alongside someone else
who is going through hard times
so that we can be there for that person
just as God was there for us.
2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 (THE MESSAGE)

On the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky