Strength For The Journey

       “This life is a journey”! To some, the statement has become a cliché and many now see it as the language of the spiritually minded that is deluded. Whether we believe it or not, the reality is it is true. In fact from the time we gained entrance into this world, we began a journey that will and must culminate in eternity – either in peace or torment! We may build all the empires here and look for technologies not to leave this plain; the fact that you entered this plain without your knowledge or input, so you would leave this plain without your knowledge or input. But we must understand that as we go through the journey certain changes are made to our lives (physically and spiritually) based on the food we eat and our experiences. However, the physical food does not profit us for eternity, as the body it nourishes does not pass into eternity. What passes through is our soul, which is fed spiritually. The feeding is what prepares the soul for eternity! This then calls for us to prepare as best as we can, so we can make the journey well and end on the side of eternity that promises peace. This journey requires strength: A strength that can only be gotten by the quality of ‘food’ we eat. What you eat and how you eat will reflect on how far you would go on this journey and what side of eternity you will end in! 

       Unfortunately, there is a famine of the real food (the word of God) that is able to nourish our soul, and grant us strength for the journey that leads us into eternity of peace! I dare say there is famine of God’s word because it is becoming increasingly difficult to decipher the truth from most pulpits. God’s word is being muddied and watered down to suit the messengers and those the message is meant for.  Sadly, these messages dull the senses of the hearers to the things of God, get them to forget the journey altogether, grow weak spiritually, and not only becoming prey for the enemy and his wiles but equally making them worthy candidates for the eternity of torment! Such muddied messages produce people that blaspheme the name of the Lord but believe they are on the path of truth. When they come face to face with danger, they have nothing in their arsenal to fight. All they have been taught are the philosophies of men that can do no good for their spiritual wellbeing. No wonder the Bible warned us particularly about such messengers and their messages: “See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah)” (Colossians 2:8, AMP). So as not to fall into this trap, we are admonished to seek the real food and eat it (John 6:47-58). Jesus Christ is the real food we need, and it is the ONLY food that will last; every other food will not last through the journey. 

       However to make it to the end, it is of a necessity that we feed consistently on and in Him! Because when we are consistent with our feeding, our eyes will be opened and strength will reside in us. This strength cannot be claimed or faked; like Elijah, you must make the conscious effort to get up and eat: “…Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you” (1 Kings 19:7b). Beloved, as we prepare for the soon return of our Lord and King Jesus Christ, you must eat well, eat quickly and eat consistently so that we would be like Him and walk as He walked: “So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). Dear friends, arise and eat so as not to get spiritually emaciated and be unfit at the end of the journey to reign with Him. God bless you as you arise to eat!