… there, right where He wants you. They were five hours into what was thought to be a four-hour hike off the mountain. The guide was confident they were on the right trail but every step seemed to be taking them further into the wilderness, not out of it. It was raining, it was getting dark and there was not a lot of talking among the men on the trail. Then the trail took a turn that validated they were indeed heading in the right direction, back to the trail head.
Around the campfire that night, several of the men said they had stopped talking on the trail because they started praying. As anxiety tried to creep in, prayers for endurance were lifted up. Then words the guide had used earlier in the week resonated, that hiking was simply putting one foot in front of the other while taking in God’s creation. The answer to prayer was to keep putting one foot in front of the other with confidence that “I AM” knows what you are facing and will meet you there.
“When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out and took it and killed a thousand men with it.” – Judges 15:14-15. The situation was not good for Samson. The men of Judah had handed him over to the Philistines bound in ropes. But the Spirit of the Lord knew what he was facing and met him where he was. Samson took what he could reach – the jawbone of a donkey, and he proceeded to do what he could do in the Lord’s strength – killed a thousand men with it. While we may not be Samson, the charge is to embrace where you are with confidence that “I AM” is with you, use what you have and do what you can. Whether it is one foot in front of the other on the trail or taking a stand against a challenge life is putting before you, God knows where you are and will meet you there.
All the men enjoyed the campfire to a new level that evening. An interesting side-note from the day’s challenges was the glimpse of God’s glory granted due to the rain – a herd of elk passed by about 25 yards below a ledge they were hiking along. Hikers usually make too much noise to get that close to wildlife but what may have been written off as a very long and rained out day hike proved to be quite an experience on several levels for all.
Prayer guide: Thank You Lord for Your creation, for the invisible qualities – Your eternal power and divine nature - that are clearly seen and understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse (Romans 1:20) to know there is a God, especially in the wilderness. I am without excuse to know there is a God, that You are Him and You are to be trusted in every situation. Forgive me for trusting in me too often. I surrender to You with confidence that “I AM” knows where I am and expects me to keep one foot in front of the other, trusting Him on the trail called life. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
A faithful father embraces where he is, uses what he has and does what he can.
