Running

The Lord revealed this to me during my morning run:

Life's not always about the endurance or perseverance, which are great qualities. Sometimes we have to make stops along the way to take a drink of the living water or to take a breath of life. Life's not always about being tough and pushing through the pain and the struggles. Sometimes we need to stop completely, rest by His side, and allow Him to carry us-- otherwise, we'd exhaust ourselves.

A Sudden Turn in the Road

Often times we start to feel confident in God's promises for us. We believe that we have them figured out, and we trust that He will fulfill them. Sometimes, they even become our hope. The one thing that sustains us. They keep us going and give us initiative and endurance through suffering. If there's a prize at the end, then the suffering doesn't seem so bad, right?

Well, what happens when God completely strips us of those promises? There's a sudden turn in the road that was completely unexpected-- we immediately lose sight and direction and can no longer see the end. Our joy and hope quickly turn to anger and doubt. We may even blame God and question His authority. However, His hand is guiding EVERY circumstance whether or not it seems promising.

God is stripping me of many things recently. It makes me think, "Without these promises, where do I put my hope?"
I know what the Lord has promised me; however, sometimes it seems as if there's no way and I want to throw up my hands and ask Him: "Oh! Common, Lord! Are you kidding me?!"

My hope should be in God and God alone-- with or without His promises. I should love Him because He is God-- not for what or what not He can do for me.

Without God's promises, would you still choose to follow Him? May His promises to me not become my reason for living, but may my reason for living be in Him and Him alone. May I not doubt or become angry and blame Him, but when I do, may I cast my burdens on the Lord. Lord, give me a quiet heart.

"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones." -Proverbs 14:30