Strength for the Journey

When you think about the 70 mile trek on the back of a donkey that Mary rode, you might wonder why God didn’t make the journey a little easier for her. Why wasn’t there a welcoming party at the Inn that had fresh water, warm food and a soft bed waiting for the weary travelers? Instead there was no room, a lowly manger and humble surroundings for the birth of the Son of God.

When we do God’s will, we are not guaranteed comfortable lives; however we are promised that even our discomfort and inconvenience have meaning in God’s plan. He may not soften the bumpy roads we take, but he will strengthen us for the journey.

Sometimes we can think, I’m being obedient to God, so why aren’t things going better? When we face discomfort or inconvenience, often we think that we have misread God’s will or that God has made a mistake. In those times we can look to God’s word for encouragement.

It’s in the struggles of the journey that we learn dependence on God. Think about the biggest life lessons you have learned over the years. They came through trials, hard work and dedication and every part of the journey served a purpose.

God has a reason for allowing the hardships and suffering that we experience. Perhaps He wants us to see past them to the beauty of His presence in the midst of them.

Be Intentional about seeing God’s provision in your hardships and suffering.

Praises & Prayers

Father, please forgive me for complaining when life gets hard. You are well acquainted with suffering and have a purpose for it. Help me to see that purpose and learn the lessons that You are patiently teaching me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Messages from His Word

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.