When the way seems too hard…
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isiah 41:10 NLT
Usually several times a year, I find myself on challenging trails where the switchbacks seem endless. The hardest ones are rocky trails at high elevation, above the tree line. Aerobically, it’s challenging as there is less oxygen as I go higher, so I huff and puff as I slowly move forward and upward. My feet feel the hard rocks with every step. My leg muscles ache as I hike uphill. I stop and take a quick break every few switchbacks, but that makes it seem like my progress is at a snail’s pace. It’s discouraging, and it often feels like it’s just too hard to continue.
In life, it can seem like that too. Sometimes you feel that God has called you to a goal, but it’s so difficult that it’s a struggle to not give up. Whether that goal is pursuing education or job skills or working through difficulties in a marriage or other family relationships, the many steps and significant work and energy required to reach a goal may overwhelm you, to the point that you begin thinking that it’s unattainable.
Yet God tells you not to be afraid or discouraged as He will strengthen you, help you, and hold you up. When you are following God’s will, you have God’s presence and support every step of the way. What may seem impossible is actually doable. You can persevere and move forward with HIS strength. Yes, you will need to take frequent “breaks” to refresh yourself in God’s Presence, Word, and promises. You will need to pray and worship when it’s going well and when it’s hard. Yet God will help you to endure and make progress. Don’t give up! The God who made heaven and earth, who made blind men see, and who lives inside of us, as the Holy Spirit, is with you in the entire journey.
Just as I eventually reach the top of a mountain, you can reach your goals if you rely on God and trust in His strength as you live out His will. Take heart and know that God is with you on the journey!