by Sis. Barbara Daugherty
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
Life is a journey for each of us. It’s not always an easy journey. There are hard days, sleepless nights, long months of hardship, years of questioning; and sometimes there are no breaks between the difficult, discouraging times. The road gets long, sometimes lonely. None are exempt from this world’s troubles. God has promised none of us a free uncomplicated ride, but He HAS promised His presence during our journey. Don’t expect anyone to understand your journey, especially if they’ve never walked your path. We must each walk our own path. Your life’s journey is YOURS! No two people ever walk the same identical journey. It’s easy to say, “If I were in her shoes, I’d do this . . . .” The only problem is that you AREN’T in her shoes. Life is a journey that is filled with unexpected trials, problems, situations, and miracles!! Specific to our own journey. But NOTHING takes God by surprise!
God is our refuge and strength . . .
Psalm 46:1a
The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
I guess the older I get, the more I realize the importance of the journey. Yes, we’re headed to a particular destination, and that destination is Heaven. But we’ve got to make the journey here on earth before we get there!
You’ll never reach your goal if you never take steps towards it, but thankfully, as we journey, God walks alongside.
If we’re not careful, we tend to want to choose our own path rather than seek God’s will for His direction of our life. We may make our plans, but God has a way of stepping right in the middle of those plans and turning our world upside down. A man once said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” The message in that statement being - life never goes according to plan. But never forget, HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OURS!
Thou hast enlarged (supported) my steps under me, that my feet did not slip:
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle:
Psalm 18:36 & 39a
Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey!
In the comic Peanuts, the great philosopher, Lucy, once said to Charlie Brown, “Life, Charlie Brown, is like taking a trip on an ocean liner. Some people take their deck chair and put it on the stern, to see where they’ve been. Some put their chair on the bow to see where they’re going. Tell me, Charlie Brown, where do you want to put your deck chair?” Perplexed momentarily, Charlie Brown looks at Lucy and says, “I don’t know. I can’t get my chair unfolded.”
Have you ever found yourself there? On a journey, but can’t even get your chair unfolded to enjoy it? All of us have, at one point or another, but aren’t you glad God is faithful to supply us with His strength, mercy, grace, and anything else that we need.
I look around and see the journey of family and friends. I see some struggling just to keep their heads above water. But they’re still on the journey. Still hanging in there; trusting God - knowing He’s faithful to the end.
Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.”
Deuteronomy 33:25
This verse is from where Moses is blessing the tribes of Israel, to Asher in particular. They were on rocky terrain. Velvet ballerina shoes or flip-flops wouldn’t be what they needed. They needed iron shoes for the journey!!
So, I challenge you today, put on your iron shoes, unfold your deck chair, and set it on the bow to look FORWARD, not backward. Get ready for the journey God has for you! There is strength in the journey. HE is your strength!
ENJOY THE JOURNEY!
- Barbara Daugherty
