Day 59 - Quite a day

Today's ride went very well. I rode 45.6 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes for an average of 22.2 mph. That is the fastest I have ever gone. It just went very well. Yesterday I rode through Vicksburg, Mississippi on the map and I could not but to think about the famous Civil War Battle that went on there. The city itself was known as the Gibraltar of the Confederacy. But in 1863 after a siege that went on for 47 days Vicksburg surrendered. The North was led by General U.S. Grant who as a result of this victory and a few others in the western campaign was ordered by Lincoln to take over the leadership of the war going on in the eastern arena. Up until then, while the north had won a few battles, the war was actually going well for the South. But I could not but think about the lives lost at Vicksburg. Even in an area that had been well protected by the confederacy was not invincible. Christians sometimes think they are invincible; that they would never fall into a particular sin. They think Satan could never tempt them to do something they would not want to do. They think they are invincible. Yet none of are. We all have it in us to the worst things that we could ever think about. But by the grace of God! It is interesting that the Psalmist in Psalm 100:1 says, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!" Psalm 19 1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." That declaring and proclaiming is a whole lot of noise going on. Jesus told the religious leaders, when people were shouting during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, that "if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." His creation shouts out the glory of God. Even stones could dry out if Christ wanted them to. One of the best ways we can give thanks to the Lord is to use not just our voices but our whole being to worship Him. That is a way we can thank him. But He says, "all the earth." All of His creation shouts His glory. But we aren't always listening. But he says that all the earth is to make a joyful noise. Yet you and I know that while His creation shouts His glory, not all humanity does. Part of humanity refuses to worship God or give Him any honor or glory. So, the way I see it, we as Christians have to make enough noise so the whole earth hears it. We can't be silent. We of all people have to make noise to the honor and glory of God. And when we do, it will go throughout the whole earth. We need to be noisy people. Noisy for God! And if we don't, God may have the stones do it. Talk to you tomorrow.