Have You Hit the Wall Lately?

Paul states the problem: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:9-10).  Isaiah gives us the antidote:  “They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength”  (Isa. 40:31).

Hey Gang:  Found this description of those times we hit the wall and feel like throwing in the towel in a neat little devotional- “Man of God Walking by Faith”: “Experienced athletes know the feeling all too well.  Marathon runners experience it at about the twenty-mile mark.  Cyclists meet it while riding hard into a headwind.  Mountain climbers encounter it about two-thirds of the way to the summit.  The feeling is the same: you feel as though you have run full-speed into a wall.”

Athletes are not the only ones who “Hit the wall.”  As I have grown more mature (older than dirt) the walls requiring physical labor have grown more frequent and often very much higher.  What I was able to do in a day, a years ago, has been reduced to a pittance of those accomplishments.  The simplest tasks have become like climbing that mountain carrying a fill pack.  I have found that in recent years even waking up can be a chore.

Now at the age of 85 I feel qualified to pass along a piece of wisdom that may help someone deal with the walls that continue to impact their lives.  True, my body ain’t what it used to be, but I find that is no excuse for getting out a rocking chair and doing as Ike said he would do, “slowly start rocking”. 

Paul put it this way: “That He, God, would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Eph. 3:16-17).  The next word in my God’s Promise Book is ‘Success’.  Solomon gave us these words of wisdom: “If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength’ but wisdom brings success” (Eccles. 10:10).

There were many times in the development of the Village that I had to take my ax into God’s workshop and allow Him to sharpen it.

How sharp is your ax this morning?  Perhaps you are facing “a wall” right now.  How will you handle it?  Will you try to go around it, dig under it, perhaps even get out that ax and chop it down.  God stands with His arms our stretched saying, “If you wait for the Lord you shall have new strength”. The Lord’s promises never fail; He stands ready to provide you with all the strength you need to conquer that wall.      

Blessings,

Gramps