Category: Travel

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God Preserves Us

A mastodon skeleton at Mastodon State Historic Site in Missouri
Psalm 121:7 (KJV)—The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

On an adventure to the Mastodon State Historic Site in Missouri, I had the privilege to behold a mastodon skeleton that offered evidence of humans and American mastodons coexisting in eastern North America.

I look at the picture now and think of preservation. The archaeologists must have worked with great care in uncovering the bones. Then the bones had to be transported without damage. The process probably ended with the reconstruction of the skeleton.

Each and every step required care, the same care our Father dotes upon us.

When we feel as if our bones are being buried in the earth, God acts with the care of an archaeologist, preserving us. He cares for us, allowing us to cast our anxieties upon him (1 Peter 5:7). He guides us with his Word (Psalm 119:105). He does not forsake us (Psalm 37:28), and he restores us (Psalm 23:3).

With these promises, we can cry out, as Jeremiah did, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14, ESV).

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Sunset Promise: Light in the Darkness

Genesis 1:5 (ESV)—And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
A sunset over the ocean, with palm trees in the foreground, on the island of Maui

I am a sunset person. The sun rises far to early for me to jump out of my comfy bed while I’m on vacation—or at home, for that matter. I love the colors streaking across the sky, the rays peeking out from behind clouds, the awe of the moment as people gather to watch the spectacle of the sun sinking below the horizon.

The sunset promises light in the darkness. The darkness reveals more of God’s magnificent creation. The moon smiles down at us. The stars wink from their stage in the sky. Planets glow. All these are reminders of God’s power and the light he shines on us, even in our darkest hour.

A sunset over the ocean in Kihei, on the island of Maui
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Traveling With a Joyful Heart

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)—A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

When it comes to vacations, I am a planner. I schedule events on a calendar for each day of my travels. But at times I misjudge the distance from one place to the next, or I don’t plan enough time for an event, and suddenly my elaborate schedule crumbles. I internally berate myself for messing up the situation, arms crossed and shoulders slumped.

In a matter of moments, my joyful heart sinks into a pit of mire. The activity I once looked forward to threatens to derail my vacation. The mud in the pit slowly sucks away my ideal plans.

The easy answer is to wallow in the mud—and sometimes I do, as my story reveals. The better answer, though not always the easiest, is battling the mud and pulling myself back to joy. And such a battle requires the right tools, beginning with the Bible’s guidance.

A few of my go-to verses that remind me to seek joy come from Philippians 4:

Verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Verse 6: ” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Verse 8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

These verses remind me to focus on the positive. They lift my spirit and allow me to finish my vacation with a spirit of joy.

I encourage you to highlight in your Bible and memorize a few verses that provide you the medicine of joy. Practice making these your go-to thoughts in your travels and in your everyday life.

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A Different Perspective of the Sea

Jeremiah 5:22 (ESV)—Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Last week I sat on the beach with my family, soaking up sun rays, boogie boarding for hours, and even stand-up paddleboarding. I reclined on my beach chair. I sat with my back to the waves with my niece, nephew, and sister, laughing as we tumbled, and spitting out the occasional mouthful of salt water. I felt rested and rejuvenated.

The ocean is about more than rest and fun, though, and this verse in Jeremiah adds to my perspective. The next time I walk on the sand, searching the water for rays, the next time I swim in the ocean, catching waves on a boogie board, and the next time I simply sit in the surf, watching the waves break, I’ll remember God’s power and stand in awe of the One who set the sands into place.

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Challenges From God: Following His Sometimes Awe-Inspiring, Sometimes Awkward, Sometimes Easy, Sometimes Frightening Plan

This photo shows the front of end of a kayak in a river rapid. The kayak tilts to one side. There are trees in the background.
When the river tips over our kayak, God remains with us and plans to rescue us.
Jeremiah 1:7–8 (NIV)—But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

When I travel, I avoid certain activities. Kayaking, because I’ve tried and failed at it twice. Ziplining, because I’m afraid of heights. Diving, because I can’t breath through a snorkel tube, let alone whatever breathing apparatus diving requires—not to mention I sink like a rock in water.

I choose whether to do these activities on the basis of my feelings, both physically and emotionally. By not doing them, I feel safe and calm, which is important to me.

Yet these challenges don’t compare to those to which God calls us. At times, God calls us to situations we’d rather ignore even though we’d rather feel safe and calm. Perhaps God calls us to reach out to a friend even though we’re socially awkward. Maybe he plants the seed of an overseas mission trip in our mind when we’re afraid of flying. Possibly he asks us to give more generously than our budget allows.

Scary? Yes!

Uncomfortable? Absolutely!

But God doesn’t call us to watch us squirm in discomfort. He calls us because he handcrafted a plan for us, a sometimes awe-inspiring, sometimes awkward, sometimes easy, sometimes frightening plan. When God calls, and we answer yes, he promises us his presence. He stands with us, and he wants to rescue us in his time.

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God Rebuilds on Top of the Ruins

This photo shows stone ruins, with an upward angle showing a blue sky.

Jeremiah 30:18 (NIV)—“This is what the Lord says: “‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings;the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.’”

I love visiting ruins, standing between four incomplete walls and looking up to see blue sky. Ruins tell a tale of the past, what once was. The bones of ancient churches sit abandoned in the countryside. Concrete gazebos covered in vines stand in the middle of forests. Castles crumble beside lakes and oceans. The remains of these structures signal an end.

For God’s people, ruins came with a promise of a new beginning. In Jeremiah, God promised the rebuilding of Jerusalem on top of the ruins. The ruins became the foundation for the new city where the people would sing songs of thanksgiving and rejoice, and where the people would receive honor and respect. The ruins promised a final restoration in God’s Kingdom.

I am privileged to serve a God who rebuilds on the ruins rather than leaves them to the forces of nature. He stabilizes the bones of the structure. He strips away the vines and overgrowth from walls. He sweeps away the crumbling pieces. He builds a stronger and more beautiful future on top of the past.

This photo shows the ruins of an old church with fields and trees in the background.
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Basking in the Warmth of Prioritizing God

This photo shows a sunset over the ocean with a tree in the foreground. One branch of the trunk forms a C-shaped curve around the setting sun.

Haggai 1:7–8 (ESV)—Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.

I have a confession: When I’m on vacation, I often forget to pray, to study my Bible, or to read a devotional. I pack devotional books or plan to read my Bible as soon as I wake up…but the ocean calls, the tour leaves at a specific time, or wildlife snatches my attention, and I promise myself I’ll do it later. Later never materializes.

Even in a time of rest, it’s important that we make God a priority. Building up the Lord’s house is a full-time job with glorious benefits. God takes pleasure when we include him in our travels. He wants to join us on our journeys. But more so, he wants us to remember to put him first, to honor him. He doesn’t want our excuses; he wants us to experience his greatest blessings—and we experience his greatest blessings when we prioritize our relationship with him.

So…new plan for vacation: put my well-meaning thoughts into action and bask in the warmth of knowing I prioritized God (perhaps while basking in the sun on a white sand beach). I pray you do the same in a destination of your choosing!

This photo shows a sunset over the ocean with rays light bursting from behind a cloud.
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Spiritual Refreshment and Travel

Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)
A generous person will prosper;
    whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25 (ESV)
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
    and one who waters will himself be watered.

Proverbs 11:25 (NKJV)
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.

When I think about refreshment in relation to vacation, I picture myself soaking up the sun while lounging on the beach, frozen fruit-flavored mocktail in hand and audiobook playing in my ears. Or I ponder collapsing at the peak of a mountain hiking trail and soaking in the view, knowing I completed the three-mile hike and survived, and now I needed to rest before the trek down.

I think everyone needs this type of refreshment. For me, the beach offers the ultimate in relaxation and hiking gives a sense of accomplishment.

But, I admit, I am guilty of forgetting to refresh my spirit while traipsing around new places. The views claim my attention. The yummy donuts and ice cream beckon me. The museums and sites fill my brain with information that I promptly forget after the vacation ends.

So how do I, as a traveler, refresh my spirit while on an adventure? Devotionals, Bible reading, and prayer, yes. Another answer lies in Proverbs 11:25. It is in the moment at the beachside bar when I have an opportunity to bless another and refresh my spirit.

Did I treat the staff with respect? Did I say please and thank you? Did I give a generous tip? Did I act in a godly manner, a manner that may bless another and, in turn, refresh my spirit?

Perhaps my kindness lifted the worker’s spirit after an encounter of the not-so-nice kind. Maybe my tip helped the worker to pay their grocery bill. Possibly my review, later in the day, on a website, earned a worker a raise or a promotion.

I may never know the blessing I bestow on another. And that’s okay. Yet, when I travel, I have to act with intention in my words and actions toward others. In this way, I partake in spiritual refreshment.

All that said, I close with this (slightly silly) analogy: Like a fruity mocktail satisfies physical thirst, a positive review, a kind word, a generous tip, an upbeat attitude quenches spiritual thirst.

This photo shows a beach chair sitting in the sand, under a palapa.
This photo shows the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, from the top of a mountain hiking trail. The sky is blue with a few clouds and there are mountains in the distance. The town is nestled in a valley.
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Rejoicing in Every Travel Moment, Mishaps and All

Redwood trees with ferns at the base and the verse Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Read: Philippians 1–4

While on vacation, we have every reason to rejoice. God has provided us time away to rest and relax from the normal rhythms of life.

Yet even on vacation we experience pitfalls. The rain pours down during our entire beach trip. Our tours get canceled because not enough people signed up. The hotel doesn’t live up to the reviews. The taxi takes longer than expected to show up and we arrive late to a concert.

Our feelings become a tangled mess of sadness, annoyance, anger, and maybe another emotion or two. At least mine do, at times.

For travelers, the book of Philippians offers an example of rejoicing in every moment. Paul rejoices in his hardship and encourages the Philippians to rejoice with him. If Paul can rejoice even in the face of danger, surely we can rejoice when our travel plans go awry.

Deep-down contentment lies in Christ, not in the sites we see and the restaurants we eat at. Yes, these events can provide pleasure, and if they do, we can rejoice! But that’s not always the case, and rejoicing in these moments can snuff out those unpleasant feelings.

For my past travels, I rejoice in swimming safely to shore after an unexpected dousing in the river, in spending time with my uncle, and in having a (now funny) story to tell. I rejoice in watching a baseball game and an unplanned overnight stay, after a bird roosted in the plane’s engine and caused a flight delay. I rejoice for the helpful bus driver who directed us to the beach.

What travel moment do you rejoice in?

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Praying for Abounding Love: Thoughts for Travelers

Philippians 1:9–11 (ESV)—And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s prayer about love speaks to my traveler’s heart. While exploring the world, we have a chance to reflect God’s love, and it’s important for us to pray for more love. More love for the flight crew when our plane gets delayed. More love for the hotel workers when our room is not ready at the scheduled time. More love for when the weather doesn’t cooperate. More love for when service at a restaurant takes longer than expected. More love for the tour company that cancels our outing. More love for our travel partners. More love for ourselves.

More love! There’s never such a thing as too much love. Before you embark on your next adventure, pray for abounding love.