Keep on, dear Pilgrim. For you are here only a short while. Look ahead to your final destination. To the presence, the power of The One who is always with you. Better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere. So live a thousand days, or perhaps only a hundred. But live always looking to Jesus. Live, knowing that today you may endure great pain, but your discomforts are temporary and He is still here. Yes, pain hurts. But there is hope right now in Christ! There is hope in what He has planned ahead!
You see, sometimes on our journey we can trip and break a limb. And sometimes while traveling, we can be struck down and discouraged by outside foes and/or conditions. Yes, sometimes the very worst of this world sabotages our voyage, and brings about much turbulence and trouble. But know that these delays, these mishaps, these rocky moments are in no way changing your future. True love is inevitable for those who seek after the Lord. So seek Him, believer. You will find Him. You will be with Him. You will abide and know His presence. You will. For He has promised it.
So, take one step... then another. Keep on! Be joyful, hopeful, patient, faithful. Proceed forward however you are able, and always trust your King. Trust Him through all this brokeness. Yes, there is hurt now, but His courts are full - cheering us on with the greatest crowd of witnesses imaginable. Remember, you have been called according to His purpose. You are His beloved. So, keep on, dear Pilgrim. Look upon your Shepherd through tearful eyes of faith and trust His plan to save and restore you. No matter what happens here, place all your hope in the Lord and keep going.
Friends, sometimes our circumstances seem unbearable. Sometimes the enemy causes us to lose our direction so we don't know which way is up. Sometimes evil pierces, and stings, and poisons us repeatedly without regard or sympathy. In short, this life is very, very hard and in it, we will hurt deeply. This life is cruel and difficult. This life is broken and full of unholiness. But through it all you must always remember, JESUS IS HOLY. So look to Him. Trust only Him. Through it all, keep on believing Jesus! He is all you need. He is more than your heart craves. He is greater than anything you have desired or longed for. He exceeds everything else you will ever encounter. So endure the pain of today as you cling onto His Word. For rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
"We presume... that trust will ease infusion, dull the pain, redeem the times. The cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11 testifies that it is not so. Our trust does not bring final clarity on this earth. It does not still the chaos or dull the pain or provide a crutch. When all else is unclear, the heart of trust says, 'Into Your hands I commend my spirit.'" (Brennan Manning)
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psalm 84:1-2)
Yes, better is one day in His courts. Into Your hands, Father... we will trust You and keep on.
We who are alive in Christ will indeed see Him. We will dwell with Him and praise Him in His courts. We will know His presence face-to-face. How wonderful a Hope we have despite today's discomforts. Still, there is no denying that right now it definitely hurts. These times are assuredly hard to swallow and difficult to endure. But walk on, dear Pilgrim. Trust Jesus through it all. Trust your King for HE IS GOD! He will see you through. He will give you only what you can handle. He will use every moment for His good. And we need His good. In the end, we cannot survive without His good. So keep on keeping on!
Today, I am praying that your life is blessed abundantly in the Lord. That you seek and know Jesus intimately. That you love as He loves, and give as He gives. I'm praying that you obediently follow God's Word and daily seek to know His heart, no matter what trial may come in this life. For better is one wonderful day in His courts... so keep moving forward toward His promised hope. Believers, one day you and I will be laughing and singing and playing in God's presence for all eternity! Keep your focus on THAT day as you live today in His Name!
Today, I'm praying that God shows each of us His miraculous and unchanging promises in real time as we proceed forward and finish this race.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds... Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 12:1-3; 13:13-15, 21)
If you keep going, you will get there. So, keep on, dear Pilgrim.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
Blessings!
~Victoria
© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson
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