I’m a biker. I don’t have any tattoos, piercings, or wild tales of territorial tussles, but I do have a motorcycle. There are few things as liberating as feeling the wind in your face as you rumble down the road on two wheels. One thing I’ve learned in my years of riding is how to handle a curve in the road ahead. You slow down to an appropriate speed, take an inside-out line, and look as far ahead in the curve as possible, just like faith.
Hebrews 11:1 tells us in the NKJV, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” With a new school year on the way, I’m in for another crazy ride through so much that is still unseen. I pondered this last weekend as I traversed one of the famed “Three Sisters” roads in the heart of the Texas Hill Country on my Honda Shadow. I’ll have unknown students fill my seats, unknown challenges in my path, and unknown successes to uplift me. I know that many of you are no longer a part of the “back-to-school” frenzy, but I want to encourage you to have faith.
Whatever twists and turns your life brings, you can look ahead to the faithfulness of God. One of my favorite promises in Scripture is, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 1:6 HCSB). You see, faith is precipitated by the unseen. If we could see everything, that wouldn’t require much faith. Part of the thrill of riding a bike is the journey itself, not just the destination.
Perhaps you are a recent graduate from college with a fork in the road ahead of you, or maybe you’re an established professional with a long straightaway before you. Whatever your journey, you can be certain that God has a magnificent plan for your life. Just as I maintain my motorcycle and trust that the fluid levels, mechanical systems, and electrical elements will all work in unison to hold me up during the ride, know that your daily fueling of the Word, regular interactions with the church, and prayerful communion with God will all work together to sustain you on your journey. Even better, you know man and machine will fail but God never will.
Jesus encourages us to, “Have faith in God” in the eleventh chapter of Mark, and I would like to echo His words today. Most of us will never hop on a 750cc engine, but we all have decisions and experiences ahead of us that require faith. Would you choose to slow down, seek God inwardly before acting outwardly, and look ahead to His plan for you? Trust me, it makes for a beautiful ride.
Be blessed and be encouraged.