Up Hill Both Ways

Up Hill Both Ways

Have you traveled the up hill slopes of life? I know that I have. My up hill treks vary in length and their degrees of steepness. In some aspects of life I seem to be continually straining upward and yet never ascending. I've done it enough to know that up hill exercises on stationary paths are exhausting and fruitless.

Ahh, how I have longed to hear, “Well done, it’ll be all down hill from here.” However, God makes me no such promise. He promises peace when my mind is steadfast on him (Isaiah 26:3) and He promises to make me steadfast (1 Peter 5:10). He promises rest when I am weary (Matthew 11:28), and direction when I acknowledge Him (Proverbs 3:6). He supplies a sufficient amount of grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) and promises to go before me and with me and to never leave me or forsake me (Deut. 31:8). Even equipped with all that I could ever need or want I still find that the journey is not always easy. I still

tend to wander off in my own direction and wonder why part of the walk seems to be an up hill battle . . . both ways.

Tests

John 6:5-6
"When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Life is full of tests. I’ve heard it said that life is a test. All of the answers have multiple choices. In all of our circumstances we will act or react. We will say something or pray something

I am convinced that God is not waiting anxiously to see what my response will be to any given trial or temptation. I do not believe He is surprised by my weaknesses, strengths, growing spurts or back slides. He already knows. Why all the testing, trials, and tribulations then. They are always honing and refining experiences. They give me a report on my progress or lack thereof. God, in His perfect wisdom, gives me a snapshot of areas in out relationship, humbles me, lifts me up and infinitely gives me another chance to get it right.

Some lessons seem pretty cut and dry. Choices are made and consequences, both good and bad, are received. It’s the proverbial routine of live and learn. God, as I am growing to know Him, is anything but routine and predictable. By nature, I tend to attempt a viable understanding of God’s system of weights and measure. Grace is free and God does not play favorites in any circumstances. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. (Romans 2:11; Isaiah 55:8)

Shortcuts

I know (Romans 8: 38-39) and am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Still, I have seen caught myself trying to tip the scales. I don’t think it’s conscious. I have seen my attempts to drag the “give more and hope to get more” mentality of the world into my relationship with Him. It occurred to me that I have a desire to take shortcuts.

Romans 8:28-31 says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

With all of this going on, I’m looking for shortcuts. It sometimes amazes me that God would give me the time of day. But he does. All the time of every day, day after day, without fail. I am grateful that I don’t get what I deserve nor do I deserve anything that He gives.

And still I know I have plenty of good hearted, well intentioned company when I say there are times when I would prefer to have my own way. I long to understand the inconceivable character of God. I think there are times when my faith in His infinite ability magnifies the implausible “why” questions.

Focusing on the “whys” of the inconceivable rattles my faith and alters my prayers. It affects my relationship with my savior and leads to the temptation to take matters into my own hands.

I have found this is generally the starting point for walking up hills both ways rather than allowing Him to guide me gently down the other side.

Deut. 8:1-3

Do Not Forget the LORD

1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.