Traveling coast to coast can provide a variety of opportunities to see major attractions, such as the Great Smoky Mountains, Niagara Falls, the Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, and more. In my travels, I have also discovered that there are many minor attractions along the way that can result in amazing experiences.
Once you drive away from the ocean beaches and cross the mountains (from either coast), you cruise into the Midwest. The scenery is much different but beautiful in its own way. The rugged mountains have given way to rolling hills that eventually flatten out into the plains. Those open spaces allow you to see the far-off horizon with amazingly colorful sunsets. It is a territory full of fields & pastures, small towns, down-to-earth people, and interesting history.
There is nothing wrong with spending time and resources planning visits to those major attractions, but be careful not to miss those minor stops along the way that can make the journey that much richer and more meaningful. You just might discover some very interesting and amazing wonders by checking out the minor attractions found throughout our country.
When it comes to taking a journey through the Bible, we tend to go straight to the more popular passages and overlook the writings we hear little about or are tough to understand. We need to remember that major truths can be found throughout ALL Scriptures.
The Minor Prophets are a collection of twelve Old Testament books, known simply as “the Twelve” or “the Book of the Twelve” in the Hebrew Bible. The title “minor” refers to length, not significance. Roughly in chronological order, each of these short books (Hosea to Malachi) gives a glimpse into the spiritual landscape and history of Israel from around 800 – 400 BC. These prophets challenged the status quo of the day as they spoke on God’s behalf.
Reading through the Minor Prophets can be a major experience. The message of the Minor Prophets is still relevant today since the issues of life are basically the same as they were then: social injustice, lying, killing, stealing, adultery, hypocrisy, and trusting in material prosperity or military might instead of God.
As you read through the Minor Prophets, you can discover the relentless love of God for his people as well as the reality of God’s righteous anger and judgment. The prophets called for God’s people to repent and turn back to God. They also point to Jesus as the redeemer coming to fulfill the promise of salvation. The test of a prophet is accuracy. All God’s promises shared by these prophets were fulfilled. Don’t miss the major truths found in these minor prophets!
Zechariah 1:3 – “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Randy Shivers