Trip so far: 9:23, 619.2 mi
Today: 6:53am PST to 8:58pm MST
If you’re having trouble seeing this photo of our evening accommodations, that’s because we pulled in well after sunset. (If you’re not, that’s because of Photoshop!) Ten hours of driving (or close enough) sounds like an all-day ordeal, and – look at that! – it did indeed take all day. But the kids did very well, and we’re all getting to sleep at a decent hour. Only three more days to go – and so far, our minivan is getting a unexpectedly high 24.6 MPG, thank you Lord! 🙂
One of our diversions while driving today was a recorded sermon featuring Dr. John Hunter, a noteworthy English preacher. I highly recommend his recordings to any believer who desires to grow toward maturity! In the message we heard today, Hunter reminded his audience that victory in the Christian life is something which eludes us all. Another good preacher I recently heard, Dr. Jerry Benjamin, proclaimed that “the Christian life isn’t difficult… it’s impossible!” How is it that after all Jesus did for us we can fail to see victory in our own lives?
Hunter’s response was a huge encouragement to Amy and I both, which is why I share it with you now. “Victory,” he declared, “isn’t something you win. It’s something you receive!” No matter how we may struggle to suppress sin in our life, we cannot succeed on our own – we never could, which is why we needed Jesus in the first place! Our need has not changed; and just as only Jesus’ death could pay the price of our sin, only His life lived through us brings about the victory we desire. What we can’t achieve, we must receive freely from Him.
“Come unto Me,” says Jesus, “all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” (Matt 11:28). The first step toward victory is the same today as it always has been: recognize our own inability, and come running to the Savior.