Equipped for the Journey

The road of life is full of pitfalls and tests. Only through the power of the Word and the Spirit can we take this journey knowing we will reach our final destination. The Lord has destined us to win and He has equipped us for the journey!

By Lisa McDonald

Psalm 15 - O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy Holy Hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor. Nor takes up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a reprobate is despised. But who honors those who fear the Lord. He swears to his own hurt, and does not change. He does not put out his money at interest nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

            I never though I’d get there. The rain was relentless, soaking right through my slicker and hat. My feet were like weights because of all the water in my socks and shoes. As I drudged up the huge mountain, my feet hurt, my back ached, and I could not clearly see because my glasses were speckled with raindrops and all I could hear was a voice in the distance yelling, in a much too happy tone, “Come on you guys! You can make it! Just a little more to go!” I REALLY didn’t want to be there.

            During my sixth grade year, the entire class went to environmental camp. There were nature activities, seminars with park rangers about being environmentally conscious, and many, many nature hikes. These hikes would normally have been fun except for the rain, the mountains and the distance we had to climb upon them. Looking back, I’m sure it was just a small hill instead of a tall mountain, and it may have been probably only two miles, but it felt like ten. When our group reached the top we were privileged to see an authentic pioneer settlement, in the mud, eat our soggy sandwiches, in the mud, rest and then go back to our dorm rooms, in the mud. Are you getting the idea that I wasn’t extremely excited about being there? You’re right!

            Many individuals find pleasure in walking, unlike my hiking experience. There are various clubs and organizations formed for the sole purpose of hiking. Walking can be a recreational form of exercise or an intense form of physical training. Hiking especially can be defined as a sport, an exercise or just a leisurely stroll to pass the time, but before anyone departs on a hike or a walk there are two questions they must ask themselves:

 1.            Do I have the proper equipment I will need for my journey? and

 2.           Do I know where I’m going and how to reach my final destination?

            How do we look at our Christian walk? Is it a leisurely stroll, stopping along the way to smell the flowers? Or more like physical training for a sporting event with many rules and regulations, a push to exceed and excel? Or possibly somewhere in the middle? However we look at the lives we are living for God, the two questions listed above very much apply.

            The Psalmist here is also writing about a hill, a Holy Hill. (The word “holy” is used here to represent a sacred sanctuary, a place of devotion.) But while I was disappointed with what awaited me on the top of my hill, whoever hikes up “this” hill will not be disappointed but overjoyed because they will be in the presence of the Lord who dwells there. He starts out by asking who will live with the Lord at the top of the hill. Then he answers his own question by providing the reader with standards to live by. Anyone who can maintain these standards in their life will see God. Remember my horrendous hike up the hill? Our Christian hikes up this hill will always be filled with unexpected potholes and rain, but just think how great the reward.

Question One (Do I have the correct equipment for this journey?)     

         Prior to beginning any hiking trip, one must be properly prepared; to have the correct shoes, jacket or rain gear, and enough food for the journey is essential. So before we can attempt to climb up a hill to live with God and worship with him, before we can walk with others up the hill, our lives need to be in order. We need to be grounded in our Father so our footing will be secure.

         One item which we must possess for this journey, even more important than a compass or special athletic shoes, is having “the mind of Christ.” (I Cor. 2:16) Thinking with the mind of Christ, who is our ultimate example, in any situation while we are hiking up this hill, will enable us to proceed with all the equipment we need to keep us strong, well-fed and prepared. It will be a non-issue for us to “try” and incorporate these standards into our daily lives because they will already be there. (Integrity, righteousness, truth, control of our tongue, an absence of malice, reverence for God and honesty in our business dealings.) So when those little pebbles get into our shoes or we stumble under the weight of our baggage, Christ is there, encouraging us onward with that still small voice.

Question Two (Where am I going?)

Isaiah 35:8-9 - And a highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness, the unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it, no lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there, but the redeemed will walk there.

        When I am contemplating a trip, first of all I want to know exactly where I will be going.  Because I am an independent person, it is uncomfortable for me to try and rely on someone else to know the way or to get me there. I’ve never been the type of person who finds it easy talking to people I don’t know, so asking for directions would be hard, and very unnerving. That’s why I would always lay out the trip ahead of time, reviewing a map, knowing where all the exits were and any distinguishing landmarks.

        As this verse specifies, there is a “highway to holiness” that all Christians should be traveling upon. Could this be the road to the “holy hill?”

        To go on any type of trip, the type of place you are going determines your equipment. To go to the white sand beaches of Jamaica, one would not pack snowshoes and a parka, as well as a bikini would be vastly inappropriate for Alaska. For Christians to walk on this highway, we must always be in readiness equipped with the fruits of the spirit, guided by the mind of Christ. Our goal is to become the “light of the world” and the “salt of the world.” To bring this good news to the world, doesn’t it make sense that we would have to travel to get there?

        What matters in any trip is the reason for the trip. I Corinthians 1:9 states, “God is faithful through whom you were called into fellowship with His son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We can be confident in the fact that we aren’t on this highway alone. God is calling us home. He is directing us, like having a talking map either in our cars or in our backpacks while we hike. But it isn’t in the car or backpack but in our heads. God has called us to have fellowship with Him on this holy hill, to dwell with him. If it is so important for Him and if He loves us so much that He calls us to Him, don’t you think He will tell us how to get there?

        Just like my instructor at environmental camp who encouraged me up that fateful hill, so does God. He encourages and guides with an uncompromising path or highway, which is laid out for us to follow. He offers his guidance freely, but we have to choose to take it.   

        The first standard listed in the Psalm is “to walk with integrity.” This means to have a blameless life, to have no compromises, to have utter sincerity, honesty and candor. I believe God placed this standard first because if one has integrity, all the others listed would already be present in our lives. Integrity means not veering off the path ahead toward a seemingly easier way. Just as the instructor was positive that all of us 6th graders would enjoy the hike and find the pioneer settlement very interesting, God knows that the path he has laid out for us is the best. But just like my disappointment in the mud and rain, dealing with the elements made finding the settlement less than captivating. By concentrating on all the potholes, dead car batteries, and pebbles in our shoes along the way, the end result may tend to look less inviting as we travel on. By concentrating on not only the destination but the journey itself keeps things in perspective for us and gives us a more enjoyable life, instead of asking ourselves all the time, ‘Are we there yet?” If we keep this in mind, that’s the time when Our Lord shows up and keeps encouraging, ”Come on you guys! You can make it! Just a little more to go!”