Keep Your Eyes on the Cross

Yesterday I said that we had seen the cattle on a thousand hills.  I had no idea that it was only the beginning.  It is amazing to think that we are so blessed with all that God has provided and yet so unknowing of the complete picture.  God has given us the means to maintain and provide and we don’t take the time to learn to truly appreciate all He has put in place. 

We take so much for granted.   For instance, Heaven we as Christians know we are going to meet our Savior one day so what do we do about it?  Unfortunately, nothing most of the time.  The above picture is a memorial marking a quest by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, a Spanish nobleman, who set out from Mexico in 1540 to find the fabled cities of gold. He had thirty horsemen, some foot soldiers, guides and a Franciscan Friar who went with him on his quest. 

On June 29, 1541, after enduring much hardship, the group crossed the Arkansas River, near present day Fort Dodge, Kansas. Father Juan de Padilla held a mass of thanksgiving on the nearby hills, the first Christian service held in the interior of the continent, predating the landing of the Pilgrims almost 100 years. 

Even though they hadn’t found the cities of gold they still knew they had to give thanks to God and that’s what they did.  They brought God to a desolate land.  This was not their initial intention yet in the end they acknowledged where their help came from and this started the move of Christianity as we know it here in America today. 

It is probably a good thing that we present day Christians hadn’t been led on that journey. We probably would not have persevered.  If we would have persevered, would we have been willing to worship God with out cities of gold or would we have blamed Him for not finding them? 

I hope as your reading this, that you will stop and think about your relationship with Christ. Ask yourself just how far you will go for Him.  Are you willing to go that extra mile to reach lost souls for Him? Will you help those in need, or will you just try and worship Him in your own little corner?  

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.                                                                                                                                 1 Timothy 4:16

Sources:

http://kansashistory.us/fordco/coronado.html