Category: Bible (Page 33 of 334)

During our Camino de Santiago journeys I take note of the shoes people wear. What types of footwear do pilgrims choose for long walks day after day? I see hiking boots, lots of trail runners, sandals, and one time a young man in shower slides. I’m happy with my shoe choice, but I’ll admit I’m always looking for the next best option.

Such goes the way of contentment in my life. Paul wrote about contentment to Timothy, his young protégé: Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

In this constantly selling world contentment remains a challenge. Daily I see ads for something I didn’t know I need, but now I want. Paul’s list for a contented spirit consisted of food and clothes. I would add shelter to that list, but Paul traveled hard and slept where he arrived. I might also add coffee and a good book. You see the challenge—with just a little bit more I’ll finally be contented.

Our entertainment-advertising complex never rests. A key to contentment for me is turning away from all that, and finding a few moments to consider what the Lord has given me (which is a great deal). Gratitude leads to contentment, and contentment feeds my gratitude. It’s a virtuous cycle—but a hard one to access.

With feelings of gratitude and trust, I can better answer the question, Do I really need that shiny object? I might purchase a double-decker air fryer or a new car, but even so my satisfaction remains in God, not the objects provided for me.

I hope to grow in contentment this coming year, which remains a challenge. But looking back at Paul’s list, a high-end pair of trail runners with a gore-tex outer and a rock plate fit into the clothing category, do they not? I’ll order those, and then I’ll be contented…

I Timothy 6 in Through the Bible in 2024

After weeks of travel and walking the Camino de Santiago, it’s nice to return home. Nothing better than sleeping in my own bed and enjoying a bowl of cereal in the morning.

In the midst of any journey I find it comforting to remember that wherever I might find myself, the Lord is there beside me:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast (Psalm 139: 7-10).

On whatever side of the ocean I lay my head, the Lord stays with me. No place escapes his presence. The good book also tell us: The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who live in it (Psalm 24:1).

So whether I’m gone or back again, I can slow down and enjoy the presence of the Lord.

Camino de Santiago 2024

Photo by Global Residence Index

Our taxi driver, a man named Nacho with the forearms of a linebacker, picked us up at our hotel. I estimated the drive to the airport, with minimal traffic, would take 1 hour and 15 minutes. But I failed to account for foggy mountain roads and trucks hauling timber. I nervously checked the clock as we pulled out.

No need to worry. Driving like a bat out of hell, Nacho made it in 1 hour 8.

Nacho passed trucks, tourist buses, slower drivers and other taxis, all with the smooth grace of a Formula 1 driver. My wife prayed, while I enjoyed a man skilled at his work. When we arrived I offered him a generous tip. He first refused, but in my broken Spanish I explained it was for his muy rápido driving. Nacho laughed and gave me a big handshake, clearly pleased with the praise.

Hurling through the hills might not have been my chosen way to finish two weeks of peaceful walking, but the world arrives without my input.

While we hiked I thought on these lines from Psalm 121: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber.

I remembered those words again after our wild gallop into Santiago. Just as the Lord kept my feet stable on the trail, he kept Nacho’s hands steady at the wheel. In whatever situation I find myself in, I can trust the Lord to keep watch.

Camino de Santiago 2024

Photo by Wes Hicks

As you travel the final segments of the Camino de Santiago you enter a Lord of the Rings forest. Massive trees surround you, covered with moss and shielding the undergrowth from the sun. There you walk an ancient path carved over a thousand years.

Pilgrims trudge along, farmers drive their cattle back and forth to fields, and rains erode the path. The faithful carry mud on their boots to points around the globe. All the while, the path endures.

The way of Jesus endures much like this trail. In some parts of the world the faith appears tenuous, while in others it expands and strengthens. But year after year the work of the Lord forms the ground upon which we move—even if we fail to notice.

The psalmist prayed, you make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:11).

Along the path to Santiago one senses God’s presence. Here lies a thin place between the heavenly and earthly realms. The Lord works quietly, eroding our misconceptions and faithlessness, helping us turn toward him and follow.

Sometimes it helps to get into a quiet forest, along a long path etched into the earth by millions of fellow seekers, to hear a hint of his whisper.

Camino de Santiago 2024

Photo: Section of Camino de Santiago path