The Christian life is a journey, and knowing where we are going is just as important as knowing how to get there. Scripture repeatedly points us toward the return of Jesus Christ, reminding us that He is coming again and that His kingdom is our ultimate destination. The early church understood this hope and used it to encourage one another through hardship, persecution, and uncertainty. Rather than allowing difficult circumstances to become the focus of their lives, they kept their eyes on the promise that Jesus would return and that they would ultimately be with Him forever.
Psalm 96 gives us a picture of what it means to live with that destination in view. The psalm calls all the earth to worship, proclaim God's salvation, declare His glory among the nations, and rejoice because the Lord is coming. David originally used this song when the Ark of the Covenant, representing God's presence, was brought into the tabernacle. What began as a celebration for Israel points toward something much bigger: God's presence and salvation are ultimately for all people, and the coming of His kingdom is the destiny toward which creation is moving.
But while we have a broad view of where we are going, we also need a narrower view of how we make the journey. We cannot simply know that Jesus is coming again and expect to make it there without being spiritually nourished along the way. Just as a vehicle needs fuel to continue toward its destination, believers need spiritual fuel for the journey. Psalm 96:6 declares that strength and beauty are in God's sanctuary. The sanctuary is not simply a physical location; it represents the presence of God where we can receive what we need to continue following Him.
Spiritual growth requires a choice on our part. Acts 2 describes the early believers as people who devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. No one could make that choice for them, and the same is true for us. A pastor cannot grow for us. Our spouse, parents, friends, or church family cannot spend time in God's presence for us. We have to choose to stop, enter His presence, and receive what God has made available.
At the same time, we recognize that the fuel does not originate with us. We are spiritually dependent upon God. We can choose to stop at the gas station, but we cannot create the gasoline ourselves. In the same way, we can choose to seek God, but the strength, power, courage, and beauty we need come from Him. There is sufficiency in His presence for what the journey requires.
The strength found in the sanctuary includes boldness, power, might, honor, and bravery. These are qualities we desperately need when life becomes difficult. Jesus' disciples provide a powerful example. Before being filled with the Holy Spirit, they were hiding in fear, but afterward they became people of boldness and power. The same God who transformed them gives us access to His presence and the strength we need to face our own battles.
That becomes especially important when fear tries to overwhelm us. Whether we are facing difficulties in our families, struggles with our children, challenges at work, or battles within ourselves, fear can cause us to focus entirely on what is immediately in front of us. The message encourages us to keep our eyes on the road ahead while remaining aware of the dangers along the way. We must not allow the obstacles of today to make us lose sight of where God is taking us.
Ultimately, Jesus paid a great price so that we could have access to God's presence. Because of His sacrifice, we can come boldly into the presence of God and find what we need. We do not automatically walk in God's power, strength, or bravery simply because we are believers; we have access to those things, but we must choose to enter the sanctuary and receive what God offers.
There are times when we find ourselves running on empty, trying to fuel our lives through our own strength, distractions, or the temporary things around us. But God has something better available. His presence provides strength for the difficult journey, beauty that transforms our lives, courage for the battles we face, and power to continue moving forward.
The invitation is to realign our vision, lift our eyes toward the coming King, and stop running on empty. Jesus is coming again, and that hope should shape the way we live today. We have access to the sanctuary of His presence, and there is strength and beauty waiting for us there. When we choose to continually return to His presence, we are strengthened for the journey and reminded that our destination is not defined by today's difficulties, but by the coming of our King.
