GARY ANDREWS: Camping in God’s great Wilderness
My wife and I enjoy camping.
As I was sharing one of our trips with my good friend Clay McFerrin, Editor and Publisher of a small newspaper in Charleston, Mississippi, he also spoke of the enjoyment of camping he and his wife receive from exploring God’s nature.
He sent me the following and I want to share it with you.
“Many of us like to occasionally sneak away from the rat race that often makes up our existence here on Earth. This is especially true for those who are a part of the daily grind of the work world.
“Whether it’s a weekend getaway, a weeklong vacation or an overnight trip to a nearby destination, it can help to clear out the cobwebs every now and then.
It’s easy to lose focus on this treadmill we call life. Like a hamster on that spinning wheel in his cage, sometimes we may feel like we’re running and running and just never getting anything accomplished.
“That’s our humanity coming into play.
“The flesh gets weak. The mind grows tired. Sometimes we need to recharge out batteries.
“God understands this. He knows better than we ourselves how fragile we are, because He made us and knows exactly the inner workings of our mind and body.
“Even Jesus, who is God incarnate, had to sleep and rest. And while the burden of the Lord’s mission had to weigh tremendously on His mind, don’t you think that Jesus sometimes smiled and laughed and found occasional comfort in simple pleasures that His perfect creation has to offer?
“God does not want us to be sticks in the mud, to bury our heads in the sand, to lead a somber existence weighted down by religious law and strict codes of conduct. To be certain, there is a road map for our journey to Heaven.
“It is God’s Word.
“Inside its covers are 10 commandments, teachings of our Savior and other instructions on how we should live each day. We should not forsake those.
“Yet, we still need some time to unwind, to enjoy the majesty of God’s great Earth.
“My wife and I love to camp. As others when we go camping, there is plenty of time to read the Bible, enjoy devotionals, and pray.
“For many who enjoy God’s great outdoors through camping, opportunities arise to witness to others about the mercy and salvation of Christ. It seems that the beauty of the earth allows everyone to be open to the gospel.”
My wife and I enjoy God’s creation every chance we get. Now that we are retired from the grind of an everyday job we have the opportunity to go more and enjoy the blessings that God allows us to have in his beautiful creation. It is my hope that everyone would see the beauty of this earth. It is also my hope that everyone would open their heart to God’s teachings and listen to His promise of eternal life and accept Him as their personal Savior
GARY ANDREWS‘ devotional appears each week on the Church Pages of your Clarksdale Press Register. You can contact him at GARY@gadevotionals.com
