Our Quest

“And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.” (1Sa 15:18 AV)

 What is a journey, anyway?  A journey is more than a trip.  A journey is a quest.  A journey is just as much about the destination as it is about what happens along the way.  A quest includes things one might learn.  He or she might learn general information, or more importantly, he or she might learn hard truths about themselves.  This was certainly true of Saul.  He was told to destroy the Amalekites.  Everything!  Every person, every dwelling, every object.  When the battle was over, Agag, king of the Amalekites was a captive and still alive.  The people had taken the best of the material wealth of the Amalekites to later offer to the LORD.  Saul’s journey ended in learning that if he thought his judgment was better than the LORD’s, then he would follow his own judgment.  Saul’s journey would have ended successfully if he readily admitted that he was responsible for the sheep and the king.  But he did not.  His inclination was to blame the people.  A journey teaches us hard truth about ourselves.  Some are good; some not so much.  The successes and failures are as important as how we react to them.  For a journey to be successful, change is the goal.

Preparing for a wedding day is a definite journey.  There is plenty of testing along the way.  When Lisa and I decided it was the LORD’s will to marry, a barrage of events hit us like a whirlwind on prairie.  Our relationship was tested over and again.  It seemed like a non-stop attack on our determined will to unite in marriage.  The planning of the wedding itself was more than a chore. Guest lists, themes, cake, reception, venue, etc all became a big deal.  Working with relatives wasn’t all that bad.  There was a hiccup or two.  Not the nightmare that others have experienced.  Along with the planning was marriage counseling.  Our counseling was as good as one can get.  Our singles pastor did a great job and to this day, I credit his guidance and counsel as the main reason our marriage has been so richly blessed.  During this counseling, we learned a great deal about ourselves and one another.  Things we thought we knew but didn’t really know.  We had to examine who and what we were and realize that a marriage is only as successful as the willingness to allow the other to change us for the good.  We learned how to communicate.  We learned about priorities and values.  We learned about convictions and beliefs.  We learned a lot about ourselves.  All that we learned had to result in change that made us better people for the glory of God and one another.  A few months after we were married, a situation arose that truly showed us who and what we were.  The LORD challenged us with a decision that caused us both to take a step back and look at ourselves.  Since then, our marriage continues to be a journey.  As each trial passes, we learn more and more about ourselves and one another.  The key is change.  Can we learn and adapt? Can we learn and obey? Can we learn and trust?

Each of us has a journey.  It is called life.  This journey has come from the mind of God.  He is the one who sent un on it.  It is our quest.  The quest ends the same for all.  We are to end with a personal relationship with the Father and conversion into Christlikeness.  Although this journey ends the same for all, the means and path of getting there vary.  They vary according to who and what we are.  My journey will not be the same as yours.  Yours will not be exactly the same as anyone else’s.  Our journeys are as unique as the people who travel them.  Our journeys cross paths.  Our journeys may parallel one another.  But no two journeys are exactly the same.  The question is, how are we doing?  Are we learning?  Are we changing?  Do we welcome the journey as God intended?  A personal challenge to trust Him with a heart of gratitude for the challenge?  Do we undertake our quest with the seriousness and commitment it deserves?  Do we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit every step of the way?  Do we pray and seek encouragement when the journey gets too hard to bare?  Do we seek the help of others while we battle monsters too big for one person?  It is our quest.  It belongs to us.  What matters is not the failures that happen along the way.  There have to be some failures for us to learn from.  What matters is how we respond.  Do we get right back on the horse and continue?  Do we admit our failures and take full responsibility for them?  Do we seek God’s forgiveness and live to fight another day?  All good questions.  This is your journey.  How we you reach the end of it?