THE BEST IS YET TO COME
1 Peter 4:12-13
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."
For more than three decades, during these weeks in mid September, I was in the mountains guiding elk hunters. The last 7 years I’ve not been able to get there. Each morning I see photos of elk on Facebook and a little but of me wishes I was in the Colorado Rockies.
Every year in the mountains it got a little harder to climb the steep terrain. My legs, back and lungs just couldn't do it like I could 20 years ago. But each year I pushed myself and it worked out. There is reward at the end of hard work. Each year in the mountains I tried to explore someplace new. I love to see what is over the next ridge and with 83,000 acres to hunt... there was always something new and different to explore.
There were always times when I struggled and wondered if the climb was worth it. The burning lungs and throbbing legs would tell me to stop but the drive to see what is next kept me going. The pain that I went through was worth it when I would finally see what beauty is revealed once I had reached my destination.
Many of us are going through painful times in life. Every week I hear of friends and family that saying goodbye to their mother or father. But for Christian's we need to know that God allows us to struggle through tough times, to fight through pain, to see what will be revealed once we get past the tough times.
C.S. Lewis wrote, "Hardships often prepare ordinary people for extraordinary destinies".
This is so true, if we allow God to work in our lives as we go through tough times. We can lay down and quit, or we can get up and keep climbing to see the beauty that is revealed tomorrow, when we've climbed out of the trials we are facing today.
Remember that at the end of a long hard winter, where nothing looks like it will ever grow again, God brings on spring in all it's beauty.
What is God preparing you for today. Allow Him to show you His beautiful plan... Then live it out.
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