One of my favorite things to do is travel…by ship, by plane, by car…anyway I can get there. There are so many places that I still want to visit – especially here in my own country. Around 9 years ago, I decided that I would start collecting newspapers from the state capitals. People have laughed at me over this idea, but without fail, everytime a friend is heading to one of our 50 state capitals, they offer to bring me back a paper. And…I decline the offer each time. You see – I have to actually GO THERE to get the newspaper. It’s not the same to simply have one given to me or brought back to me or mailed to me. Going there and getting it allows me to create a memory, because I’ll always have the date on the paper to reflect the date that I was in the city. Ultimately, however, my real goal is simply getting to visit every one of the 50 states and what better way to reflect my travels than having the tangible newspaper to show for it!
God recently showed me that just as I am very purposeful on how I am to get my newspapers – by journeying to these places and getting them myself – he also expects me to do that when it comes to His Word. How often have you relied only on what others give you in regards to God’s Word? Sometimes, I find it easier to be fed by my pastor or by the books I read or the music I listen to, but that’s not what God expects of me. He expects me journey to His Word myself and to be fed directly by Him through the scriptures and through prayer. Second-hand knowledge might be the easier route, but like my newspaper hobby, it’s not the most fulfilling. Only seeking Him directly will make it a true journey! Sometimes the journey may seem long, but what a reward at the end of the destination. More than likely, it will take me a lifetime to reach my newspaper goal, although I am almost half-way there. God also expects me to take my entire lifetime to journey through His Word, but He will reward my efforts every step of the way!