Acts 14:21-22
“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
One of the great joys of my boyhood was riding my bicycle. There was a hill south of town that was difficult to ascend. By the time you arrived there your muscles ached and you were panting for breath. But when you looked out over the valley in the Boise Mountains on the other side, it seemed as though it was worth it all. But the best was yet to come! It was the coast down to the bottom!
When my dear wife Joyce was still alive, we traveled to Maui on the Hawaiian Islands. It was the last vacation we ever took and that was about 15 years ago. One of the popular tourist attractions was the bike tours to the mountain of Haleakala.
For your information, Haleakala is just over 10,000 feet in elevation. Only the bravest riders attempt to bike up to the summit, but there is an alternative. Vans transport the bicycles and their riders to the top of the mountain—from there it’s a full coast all the way to the bottom. What a kick!
Sadly, there are many believers who want to be carried to the top of the spiritual mountain just so they can coast to the bottom with little or no effort. Sorry folks, it just does not work that way! God does not call us to coast. He calls us to commit. Read today’s Scripture once again and hear what Paul says to believers. NO COASTING ALLOWED!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil