Week:                          September 1-7, 2024

 

Read:                          Hebrews 10:36    (NIV)

Key Verse:                  ³⁶ You need to persevere so that when you have done                                        the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

I read a quote by an unknown author recently; it reads, “If you are asking God to move a mountain, don’t be surprised if he gives you a shovel.” I thought about two things: 1) the book of Hebrews, which was directed toward persecuted Jewish Christians, many of whom had grown weary and considered returning to Judaism and 2) the exposure to productive struggle in order to build our faith and trust in God on our way to victory.

Think about it. Did the Israelites really have to struggle to get from Egypt to the promised land? NO! Did the walls and temple in Jerusalem really have to be rebuilt? NO!. Did Paul really have to be imprisoned multiple times throughout his ministry for spreading the Gospel? NO! God could have made the outcomes what He wanted them to be, immediately.

We often think about the destination/s we want to get to and how we would like to arrive, but only God understands the destinations and the means to get there. Could it be, that when God puts challenges in our lives, we encounter God in ways we might not, if He made our journeys struggle-free? There are times when I would like nothing more than to avoid a struggle, but here is a truth. If there was no struggle in my life, I would not believe God could get me to the other side of trouble. Moreso, I would fail to understand how to endure. I would probably be complacent in that I would expect God to move for me without ever having to move myself.

The Bible uses words like “labor” and “trials” and “struggle” and “narrow way;” all of which speak to the need to endure through problems. Perhaps you have been given a shovel when you really need a miracle. That shovel is a gift from God , for He gives good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11). If God is giving you a shovel, then start moving that mountain with that shovel, one dig at a time, thanking Him for the removal of that mountain.

Prayer: “Father God, thank You for being my partner and guide in life,  I praise You for Your love, strength, guidance and even the struggles. I praise You for the shovel and pray for a daily increase of faith... In Jesus’ name. Amen”