Walking To JerusalemSample

Gibeah – The City of Exposure

Growing up in the inner city, I could never really see the stars. It wasn't that I never saw stars in the city—a few would make their appearance each night in competition with the lights of the city, attempting to twinkle in the smog-filled sky—but they were not easy to see. Boston also has more than its share of cloudy evenings, and there were many nights when the stars were not visible at all. I had no idea why the scientist called our galaxy the Milky Way. The name was totally lost on me, because my exposure was so limited.

Now that I live in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, I can often be found on my back porch with my feet by the evening fire. On clear nights, I stare up into the sky and watch the milky myriad of twinkling lights. I truly appreciate those evenings because in the beauty of our galaxy I see the declaration of the glory of our God.

I wonder, however, if I would appreciate its beauty as much had I grown up under this sparkling sky. Would my perspective be the same had I not been limited in my exposure? The exposure to the negative was just preparation for the exposure to the positive. Bad things, people, or experiences don't have to be bad if you allow them to teach you to truly appreciate the good. After all, diamonds are best examined when placed against dark backgrounds. I appreciate the majesty of a star-filled sky, because I grew up under one that barely held a twinkle.

God will expose you to people who have callings similar to your own or who have experiences you can learn from. These people will provide instruction for you either on what to do or what not to do, and both lessons are equally important. People instruct us without trying, and they equip us to make our own assessments of their choices and the results.

So thank God for those people, too. While you are in this stage of life, take every opportunity to learn all you can. Walk around the halls of the palace and learn as much as your heart and head can retain. You may need these insights to build your own fortress in the future. You may need to know how a palace should be constructed and how a royal court should be maintained.