Devotion: Strength for Your Journey

 The Bible in One Year: Psalm 137-139/1 Corinthians 13

Strength for Your Journey

Today’s Reading - Habakkuk 3:16-19: The Sovereign Lord is my Strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to read on the heights. ~Habakkuk 3:19

Hinds Feet on High Places a classic allegory of the Christian life, is based on Habakkuk 3:19. The story follows the character Much-Afraid as she journeys with the Shepherd. But, Much-Afraid I was scared so she asked the Shepherd to carry her.

The Shepherd kindly replies, “I could carry you all the way up to the High Places myself, instead of leaving you to climb there. But if I did, you would never be able to develop hinds’ feet, and become my companion and go where I go.”

Much-Afraid echoes the questions of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk (and if I’m honest, my questions too): “Why must I experience suffering?” “Why is my journey difficult?”

Habakkuk lived in Judah in the late seventh century BC: before the Israelites were exiled. The prophet found himself in a society that overlooked social injustice and was immobilized by the fear of imminent invasion by the Babylonians (Habakkuk 12-11). He asked the Lord to intervene and remove suffering (1:13). God replied that He would act justly but in His timing (2:3).

In faith, Habakkuk chose to trust the Lord. Even if the suffering did not end, the prophet believed that God would continue to be his strength.

We too can take comfort that the Lord is our strength to help us endure suffering and will also use the most challenging of life’s journey to deepen our fellowship with Christ. (Lisa Samra)

God sometimes my suffering seems too much to bear. Help me to trust You and continue to walk with You on this journey.

We can trust the Lord to be our strength in tough times.