October 11, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Covering The Distance

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Romans 15:4

It takes a great deal of fuel to move some things.

From moped to Saturn V -- this is how far the following conveyances will go on a gallon of fuel:

Moped (motorized bicycle), 120 miles.

Harley-Davidson 1200 (motorcycle), 50 miles.

Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel (automobile), 42 miles.

Model A Ford (automobile), 25 miles.

Piper Cherokee (light plane), 15 miles (at 144 miles an hour).

Maserati Quattroporte (automobile), 8 miles.

GMC Astro (tractor-semi trailer combination), 5.4 miles.

GM (diesel locomotive), 632 yards (at 70 miles an hour, pulling 40 to 50 fully loaded freight cars).

Boeing 747 (jumbo jet), 280 yards (carrying 385 people at 39,000 feet).

Ultra-large crude-oil carrier (supertanker), 31 feet. (At 17 miles an hour and fully loaded, this ship needs 41 gallons of fuel to travel its own length.)

Saturn V (rocket), 10 inches to infinity. (While the Saturn consumes enormous quantities of fuel in its early stages, once it escapes the earth's gravitational field no more fuel is consumed.)

Some wonder how they are going to make it from point A to point B in this life. Our ability to make it any distance spiritually is to rely heavily upon God's Spirit and His Word. It strengthens us and provides for us hope to make it each step of the way. God's Word is the fuel we need to cover the distance.

Prayer: Ask God to enlighten you in an understanding of His Word in order to endure and continue on.

"The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him."
~J. Stowell