A group of a dozen hikers had gotten lost in the high mountains of Colorado. The search and rescue teams couldn’t get to them any other way than by foot. The winds were strong, the cloud cover low, and their only escape to safety was also on foot. Once found, the battered hikers kept saying they had no strength left to hike out the 7 miles to safety. They had frostbite, confusion, profound fatigue, and the task before them seemed impossible. But, to stay on the mountain was certain death, as a new stronger storm was barreling in. There was one thing left to try… get their families, and children, on the phone. The static was thick but connection was made. Their smiles replaced their weary fear. They were heard saying repeatedly - “I’ll be home soon!” They needed to live for something bigger than themselves, and it was exactly the strength they needed for the final stretch home.
As the children of Israel gathered for their first Passover meal, they were worn and weary. Isn’t that often the way it goes, that God calls the weak and the weary to follow Him when they’re already exhausted? You can almost hear their thoughts… “Lord, I know You said You’ll deliver us, but my body is worn out, my mind is weepy, and my strength is small…”
But, it’s in these very moments that His strength is imparted to us… “For My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Like the manna that fell from Heaven, His strength isn’t given in bulk for weeks at a time, but is given as is needed for the day ahead of us (Deuteronomy 33:25). “Narrow is the gate (Jesus), but hard is the way (the journey to follow Him)…” is so true, but we press on in faith.
How similar do we find our hearts in these last days? Pervasive evil is draining. The temptation is to isolate or refuse to move, and hope the pressure passes, but, like the hikers, or the children of Israel, neither of those bring the help that’s needed. We need to follow where Jesus leads and trust Him for the strength. We also need to encourage each other as we see The Day (of His Deliverance) approaching. And friends, we need to be reminded that our heavenly Home is SO much closer than we think.
We need to smile again at the riches we have in Christ, and remember that nothing can take that away from us. Soon, our faith will give way to sight, and we will behold Him face to face. Oh, how we need to cling to the promises of God, and trust that the best of our lives are not behind us, but in front of us, with the ages to come being filled with such marvelous things that our mortal minds can’t even conceive of it. Dear ones, may the joy of the Lord, and all He still has for you, outweigh any grief this journey may bring, and may He be your strength today.
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