Couple days ago I was reading Jeremiah 12 when I was struck in my heart by verse 5. It says, "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" The gist of the verse is that if you can't handle the challenges in your life right now, how will you handle what's coming in the future which could be far difficult?I think people assume life will get better. It has to get better, I hear often. It can't get any worse. But the honest truth is, it can. God never promised us a life free of challenges, hardship and suffering. He did promise us an abundantly full life. But our life isn't about achieving happiness. It's about glorifying the One True God. In everything we do and say, in every circumstance, we're to glorify Him. Job was a perfect archetype of this. After losing his children, livelihood and servants in one day, he said (Job 1:21b): "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
We are starting a new year. And when a new year starts, the tradition is to make bold resolutions to be better, make better choices, do better things, etc. But the reality is, it may not go that way. Not to be a Debbie-downer, but I believe God has us go through certain experiences in our lives so we are stronger and more able to handle what's next, no matter what it is. And it may be just to give us empathy, grace and a servant's heart for others going through similar circumstances.
I've played the video game Candy Crush for about five years. I'm on level 2384. And every single level is harder than the one before. I cannot tell you how many times I've said, "This is impossible," and then later defeat it. And I often wonder how easy those first hundreds of levels would be if I went back to play them. But the reality is with each difficult level, I get better. And it doesn't hurt that I have a few friends who play the game who are far ahead of me, thus I'm encouraged that I can beat each new level I tackle. Likewise I am encouraged by the cloud of witnesses who have gone before me in this journey called life.
A steeplechase is a horse race over obstacles like fences and bushes. Do you know why it's called a steeplechase? It's because the races, which originated in England, were between towns, over streams, stone walls, etc, running from church steeple to church steeple. The steeples were easy markers to see in each town through the countryside as the finish came closer. What a beautiful metaphor in this race track of life! Lots of obstacles in the way, but achievable when keeping our eyes focused on God!I have no idea what 2019 holds. I pray it will be a blessed one filled with new adventures and joys. And I also pray, no matter what potential trials, changes and heart-breaking events come, that I will glorify the Father in them, and end up stronger, more determined, more forgiving and more compassionate than I was in 2018. I'm ready for the race.
