Press On
I was in the best shape of my life, but even so, it was the worst climb I've ever done. It was far from the highest mountain I've ever climbed and the hike in to the base was easy. We were climbing with our full packs, intending to set our camp up high. But on this particular mountain, the only one I've ever been on like this, the vertical incline didn't stop even for a moment. The steep pitch was utterly continuous.
There was no small shelf where we could relax our calf muscles for a moment. There was nowhere to set our packs down to rest without them tumbling back to the bottom of the mountain. It was so steep, we couldn't even sit down. Our quads were exhausted, but our Achilles tendons and calf muscles were under so much constant strain that they were throbbing. Every step was extremely painful, but standing still on that incline was even worse. There was no escaping the suffering, so we just gritted our teeth and pressed forward.
Finally, just beneath the summit, there was a narrow shelf, perhaps 10 feet wide, where we could pitch our tents. So often in life there is no escape from our suffering. Our only option is to move forward one painful step at a time. As Christians, we genuinely give our burdens to Jesus, but we discover that we must lay them down 100 times a day. The apostle Paul, who knew what it was to suffer, wrote about "our light and momentary afflictions." You see, he knew the secret.
We must view our suffering from the standpoint of our future- our eternity. Every follower of Christ has an amazing life- a joyful life- a wildly exciting and fulfilling life- just around the corner. For now, for just a little while, we walk by faith. HE gives us the STRENGTH for each new day and the GUIDANCE for each next step. PRESS ON and you will be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Written on April 13, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions