Dear Fellow Children of God,
Have you
ever left something on a plane as you dis-embark? Well, I did it again on
Monday January 5th! Kathy and
I boarded the ‘red-eye’ at 12:35 a.m. from Anchorage to Seattle. That can be a tough flight because it flies
during normal sleep hours. Yet, it is
hard to sleep in a seat on the plane. I
did manage to doze some, and I was awakened when the wheels of our jet pounded down
on the runway in Seattle. Being somewhat
tired, and trying to help Kathy with her luggage, I grabbed my backpack and
walked off the plane. We landed in concourse
C, and our next leg flew out of concourse N.
So, we hopped the train and when we reached concourse D, I said to
Kathy, “I left my book.” It was in the
pocket in front of my seat. In my book
was also my paper boarding pass which I was using as a bookmark. Now what do I do?
I
considered just leaving the book, but that was book 16 out of twenty books in
the series I am currently reading. Even
though I could use my phone for boarding the next flight, I still also wanted
my paper pass. But, I wasn’t sure it was
worth backtracking. Would my book actually
be there?
I sent
Kathy on to concourse N, and I returned on the train to concourse C. As I approached the gate (C 9), there were no
agents at the desk, nor anyone at the on-ramp door. Should I give up? I saw someone across the room at another desk
and went to ask. A nice lady agent
replied, “Well, that’s not our flight, but I’ll go look.” She unlocked the door and got back on the
plane. No one was on the plane, nor
could she find my book in my seat-back. However,
she suggested, “You could try the service desk.” So, I walked down past gate C 5 to the
service desk and another friendly agent asked how she could help. “I left my book on flight 226 at gate C 9. Another agent went to look and could not find
it. She encouraged me to ask you.” This agent looked on the window sill behind
her desk. “Here’s a book with a boarding
pass. Is your name Jonathan Rockey?” I had my book back, with my boarding pass! To be honest, I was surprised to have found
it. I count that, after discovering I
had misplaced my book, I made 3 different decisions to search for, or to continue
searching for my lost book. But in this
case persistence paid off.
There is
an old proverb which states, “If God seems far away, guess who moved?!” Perhaps because our Heavenly Father knows our
wandering tendencies, He encourages us to seek for Him. Do you know this verse from Isaiah 55? 6 "Seek
the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him
return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7)
God calls those who have wandered away from Him to repent and to seek
HIM!
Jesus also knew in His time on this earth that people
stop seeking God because they are distracted by the other needs and pleasures
of this life. So, in The Sermon on the
Mount He teaches, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33) Since our Lord provides, it is wise to first and
foremost seek Him, and His kingdom. He is
the One who provides us with all that we need, for body and soul, for this life
and eternally!
When teaching later in The Sermon on the Mount about
prayer, our Lord also instructs His followers, and us, 7
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it
will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one
who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8) It is sad that God has to
remind us to seek Him. Yet, these are only 3 of many verses in Scripture where
God calls for this faithfulness.
Yet, perhaps
somewhat surprising, we are not the only ones seeking. In Luke 15 Jesus tells the parable of The
Lost Sheep. 4 "What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave
the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until
he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together
his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have
found my sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be
more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous
persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-6) Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He
does not wait for us to come to Him. In
truth, our efforts only fall short. In
love, the Father sent Jesus who lays down His life for His wandering sheep! GOD
SEEKS US! (John 10)
So, I
turned around in the airport and backtracked to find my lost book. It was worth it. Seeking my Lord, and His kingdom and
righteousness is also wise. However,
because Jesus came seeking His wandering children, it is not only smart of me
to turn and follow Him, I want to seek and find the one who laid down His life
for me! And, since He is seeking me at
the same time, I can be sure that He will be successful!
A Child of God, Seeking My Lord as He Seeks for Me!
Pastor Rockey
P.S. I have concluded
serving Our Redeemer Lutheran in Chugiak, AK, as part-time Vacancy Pastor. Pastor Craig Schultz will now begin
serving Our Redeemer as Interim / Vacancy Pastor in January. My last Sunday at Our Redeemer was January
4.
I am now in Gainesville, FL. I attended staff meeting at First Lutheran
Church on Tuesday, January 6 and will serve in the church where I grew up,
where I was previously scheduled to return this past fall.
Other Activities of Faith:
· I
FINISHED READING THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES using the “Today’s Light Devotional Bible”
on Wednesday, December 31 I have again started my two year journey with my
Lord. On Wednesday, January 7, I read
Genesis 4:1-6:7.
Feel free to
join me again if you wish. Also, please
feel free to contact Pastor Rockey at 907-841-4066 if you have any
questions about these readings. Or send an e-mail question to jonrock53@mtaonline.net I have received
questions and comments about the readings. It is always good to consider
our Lord’s love and guidance. I will TRY to answer, but some things only God
knows!
P.P.S. Family Fun and
Fishing!
·
Our AK Rockey family held another family
Christmas on January 1, when Tim and Megan were able to attend. They had gotten stuck in the Seattle airport
when we scheduled our first AK Family Christmas. Also, please notice the FISH QUILT which
Kathy made for me. 😊 Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/rdpzcXdqyWPge7RKA
·
After 4 weekends in December of Mat-Su Valley
winds, (see this story: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/mat-su/2026/01/02/the-carnage-is-overwhelming-mat-su-battered-but-not-beaten-after-a-december-of-brutal-wind/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPGPr9zcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEea1BgA7qQUzjlXvvW5bvQuVmhWp49qoCgcsphm6JZSXXN7GfyFj-nISk0Joc&brid=TrALI0LDH_JOWGSvF5s1RA
) it turned bitter cold. On Sunday,
January 4, the temperature at 8:00 a.m. on my front porch was -22 degrees
F. Then, on my ride to church my vehicle
registered -27 F. Here are some
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ciJ9x5abVK7mmhHA9
·
However, after a staff meeting and some jet lag
on Tuesday, I played golf at Turkey Creek Golf Course in Alachua, FL, on
Wednesday, January 7. The weather was
much different. My vehicle displayed 77
degrees F. That is a difference of 104
degrees!!! Here is a picture. https://photos.app.goo.gl/je5xSVqCfwKySpAZ8
·
I scheduled some bass fishing for Thursday,
January 8. There has been little rain
for months. I will see what the lakes
are like.
*******
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I
retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as full-time senior pastor of
St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion
previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired
many asked me to continue writing these devotions. So I have continued
writing. However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion
"Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer
senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those
who asked to receive it. (However, I am currently as Assistant to the Pastor
for First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)
So, if you
stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive them,
please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is
that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Vacancy Pastor, Our Redeemer
Lutheran Church, Chugiak, AK
Pastor Emeritus, St. John
Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
“How
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 a)
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