1 Thessalonians 3:11 (KJV)
Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.
John Gill writes of this passage, “The apostle was aware that there were obstacles in his way of coming to Thessalonica, for he had attempted it once and again, but Satan and his emissaries hindered; and therefore he desires that God and Christ would remove them out of the way and make his way straight and plain…”
I have often observed over the years how travel is such an integral part of the ministry. In biblical days, that travel was fraught with obvious dangers and hardships. Paul was keenly aware of, and had experience with, these dangers and hardships.
Travel today is so common that I think we hardly give it a thought.
· Nearly everyone owns a car, in most cases more than one.
· Airplane travel is routine for many.
We have the options of bus and train travel, but in America, most of us opt for car or plane. Plan, pay, and go without hesitation—probably without a prayer.
But there are hindrances, obstacles, and dangers involved in travel even today:
There is the cost.
If we hop in our own car, we’re talking about soaring fuel prices. A plane will get us to many places much more quickly, but it’s no small chunk of change.[1]
There is the time.
Travel distracts from other obligations. I often have my wife drive these days so I can read and write as we travel, but it’s not the same as focusing my attention as I’m able to at my desk.
There are significant dangers.
I know that the ratio of injuries to travelers tells us that to fear travel is unreasonable. They even say that plane travel, statistically,[2] is much safer than travel by personal vehicle. Still, accidents do happen. They may be rare in aircraft, but they happen. And they are not that rare in personal vehicles.[3]
I am not for fearmongering. I do not wish to make my readers rethink hopping in a car, getting a driver’s license, or traveling to church or other ministry opportunities. But I am for prayer. I am for seeking the direction of God in every matter of life.
James 4:13-15 (KJV)
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
#TrustGodsGuidance #PrayerfulJourney #FaithInTravel #SeekGodsWill #MinistryOnTheMove
Facing the Road Ahead: 3 Truths About Faith and Travel
[1] One of my friends in Texas reminds me that the trip from Washington State to his home in Huntsville is easy to do in a day—but the gas is expensive!)
[2] About .01 deaths per 100,000 departures from 225 accidents between 2013 and 2021. https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/how-common-are-commercial-plane-crashes-the-irrational
[3] On average, there are over 6 million passenger car accidents in the U.S. every year. Road crashes are the leading cause of death in the country, resulting in more than 38,000 people losing their lives each year. https://www.ddlawtampa.com/resources/car-accident-statistics-you-need-to-know-in-2021/#:~:text=Total%20number%20of%20car%20accidents%20per%20year%20in%20the%20U.S.&text=On%20average%2C%20there%20are%20over,losing%20their%20lives%20each%20year.
What steps do you take to prepare for safe travels?
Take a moment right now to pray for those traveling, asking God for protection and guidance.
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