How far would you go to see someone you admire or to do something you really wanted to do? Some people would think little of flying to Montreal, Toronto, Boston or even New York in pre-pandemic times to see a Lady Gaga, Paul MacCartney, or Rolling Stone concert or some similar act. Many would easily go considerable distances to watch a baseball or hockey game, or go down south to play golf for a week or fly to Florida to see Disney World; the list goes on.
How far would you travel to meet with the one you love? Would you go to Truro, or Halifax, or further? Would any day be too dreary, any weather too inclement, any evening too short to prevent a meeting if such were really desired? Usually one would probably not do too much to meet with someone who was just an acquaintance, someone you just knew casually, but for someone with whom you were really in love with? Well, the sky is often the limit as to how far the feelings would take you.
So the question really is, how much do you really love the Lord? How far would you go to be where He is? Many people say they know God and who He is, but do you love Him? If you would go to a distant city to see a sporting event or a concert, will you walk across the street or around the block to attend church when it is opened? If you are willing to spend hours with the one of your dreams, will you walk across the room to pick up a Bible and spend some time getting to know the one you’re supposed to love? After all, the Bible states “…eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him…”(1 Corinthians 2:9). I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Bible uses the word the ‘love’ not ‘knows’. “…God has prepared for those who love Him…” In addition, it says in Romans 8:28 - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Again the question is, do you love the Lord? A few decades ago, churches were often full and people seemed to have a greater connectivity with their creator and demonstrated such with their actions. As I mentioned an earlier Something to Think About (Sept 13, 2020), in earlier times in this province, people would sometimes walk up to 12 miles, carrying their shoes because they were so expensive, in order to attend church.* And in a CBS booklet, mention is made of a Mary Jones who, in the year 1800 in Wales and at the age of 16, walked 40 kilometres in order to obtain a Bible from her pastor.**
Paul states in Romans 8:38-39 that “…I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If God has shown His love toward us in such a persuasive way, how then do we indicate our love toward Him?
Just how far are you willing to go? Something to think about.
- Plaque outside a church in Minudie, Nova Scotia
** From a Canadian Bible Society booklet (date not available) but you can read her story at Mary Jones and her Bible
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