How well equipped are you?

What if - tomorrow morning you woke up to find yourself on the summit of Mt. Everest. Imagine waking up just as an instruction booklet drops down from the ceiling of your tent with the words "Read this to Survive" written on it. I betcha you'd read them. In fact - I bet you'd read those instructions like you'd never read any instructions in your life. You'd read them as if your life depended on them! You'd do this because the top of Mt. Everest is not to be messed with. It's all serious business up there - and if someone did suddenly wake up in a tent way up there - it wouldn't be a funny joke ... it'd be deadly.

Funny thing is - spiritually - many of us are in fact in an inhospitable environment spiritually. We have these souls - called into existence with purposefulness and intention by God - to enjoy Him and for Him to enjoy us - but we live in this fallen world - this imperfect place with joys and heart-ache and very real risks - just like a mountain summit ... we work hard to reach each and every summit and celebrate the victory when we get there - but the trek up is not without perils - and we all know some go lost along the way.

And - there really is an instruction booklet - though it probably doesn't quite drop onto our heads every morning. Pity! But it is FULL of survival strategies and tips to not just survive - but to Thrive - and make sure others summit safely with us. Of course I'm talking about God's word.

Think I'm kidding about this metaphor? God calls us sojourners. Abraham is consistently called a sojourner in the book of Genesis - as he traveled - living temporarily here and there from Ur to Egypt. A sojourner is a temporary resident. The Bible calls sojourners "aliens in foreign lands".

This world - with all its imperfections, sickness, and injustice is not our home. These things eat at us because it's foreign to the spirit God put in us. The closer we draw near to Him - the more these things wear on us. God's word is full of comfort, hope, wisdom and encouragement - to not only endure this place - but to be so obedient that wherever we are become a place where others can come find peace ... our obedience allows God's Kingdom - which rights the wrongs - to come into existence and be like a life-giving Oasis to others ... kind of like a Search and Rescue helicopter coming down out of the mountain mist on top of Everest - and plucking us out of harms way - and into warmth, safety - security. The more we put God's survival instructions into work in our lives - the more we can be a part of that life-saving Search and Rescue crew.

So - don't roll up that "How to Survive Manual" - own it!