DAILY DEVOT IONAL 22
Ben Lee
Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the creator of the ends of the earth.
He doesn’t grow tired or weary.
His understanding is beyond human reach,
giving power to the tired
and reviving the exhausted.
Youths will become tired and weary,
young men will certainly stumble;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will fly up on wings like eagles;
they will run and not be tired;
they will walk and not be weary. -
Isaiah 40:28-31 (CEB)
IN TOO DEEP
In the coldest, dreariest days of each Winter, my wife and I like to plan Summer trips to scorchingly hot places, the hotter the better. Last year, that meant mapping out a trip to Arizona for some hiking in and around Flagstaff and at Grand Canyon National Park. It was a trip we’ve dreamed of making for many years. Tickets were booked, reservations made, and earnest efforts to prepare and get in better shape were half-heartedly gestured toward.
Now, I love to climb up the mountains we have here on the East Coast, up through the Adirondacks and New England. One great thing about climbing a mountain is that the hardest part comes first. Hiking a canyon is the opposite experience. Down feels like nothing, but then you turn around and see how far you’ve come, and how far up you have left to go.
*Gulp*
Recovery from an illness or injury always takes too long. We are prone to impatience, overdoing it, and reinjuring ourselves, starting the cycle again. When we have an emotional setback, like a break-up or a falling-out with friends or family, the path to restoration can also feel like an impossible, uphill climb.
The morning my wife and I set out on the Bright Angel Trail was cool and breezy for late June, yet traveling thousands of feet downhill toward the Colorado River meant it got hotter the deeper we went. 2 By the time we got to our planned turnaround at the Three-Mile Resthouse, I knew I had made a mistake. It was 100 degrees. I was tired. Squirrels were stealing snacks from my backpack if I stopped for a second. It was all too much.
It took a little over an hour to get down. It took four to climb out. We needed to stop every few minutes to find what shade we could, drink, and catch our breath. It wasn’t easy, but we made it up and out.
In life, when we recognize we have made mistakes or gotten off the path we want to be on even by no fault of our own, the road back can be difficult. It seems impossible. Yet we trust in a God who never grows tired or weary, whose understanding is beyond ours. Whatever your healing needs may be, trust that the God we follow together will carry you through.
QUESTIONS:
1. Can you think of a time when you found yourself at the bottom of a canyon – whether literally or metaphorically?
2. What sort of pauses or breaks can you take along your own journey of healing to safeguard the progress you’ve made?
3. Who can you turn to for help when the path ahead feels steeper and harder than you are able to climb alone?
PRAYER:
God of hills and valleys, of high places and low, of mountains and canyons – we trust you even when the way is challenging. Help us to remember the all the challenges you have carried us through already, and remind us of your unfailing grace to carry us through whatever comes next. In Jesus’ name. Amen.