Immediate Difficulty, Eternal Glory

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16

I love the idea that God meets us where we are. That as we are running our race, we are running, not just TO Him, but He meets us through our race and is with us. Through our stumbling. struggles, hurdles, whatever hill or mountain that's put in our place, He doesn't leave us to run on our own. So, yes, He meets us where we are, but what a joy it is to know He doesn't leave us there. You might be in a season or on a lap in your race where you're tired, drained, want to give in, feel like that hill is too big to climb, but He's meeting you there. Yes, even there. Especially there. He might not make the struggle go away, but He will meet you in the midst of it and walk you THROUGH it. What joy and comfort to know He empathizes with us in our weaknesses. He knows. He understands. He humbles Himself to meet us there and then walk it out with us. Whatever lap you're on or season you're in, He's put you there for a reason and He meets you there, but He won't leave you there. He comes alongside you and pushes you, reminding you this lap, this season is where He has placed you right now, so push through it, there's a new lap ahead. There's a new season ahead. In any race, you must complete all the laps required for that race to finish. You can't just skip a lap. For a year to finish, we must go through summer, fall, winter, and spring. You can't just skip a season, otherwise the year wasn't complete. Every lap makes up a race. Every season makes up the year. Every season of your life makes up you. Yes, some seasons will be hard. Some laps will drag on and you won't want to continue, but He knows that the struggles you'll overcome in this lap will help you in the next. He knows what you're going through now is necessary to shape you more into the man/woman of God He has created you to be. Despite your shortcomings, struggles, hardships, hurdles in this lap, He meets you there and champions you through. He wants you to focus on this lap, learn, grow, adapt to all this lap has for you and when the time comes, you'll be on a new lap, in a new season. Just as the spring is for blooming, summer for growing, fall for harvesting, winter for pruning, every part of life we go through has a purpose. He is for you, never against you. He is for this season, no matter how difficult it may seem, He knows how necessary it is for you. And He is for the next season too. He sees the finish line. He knows the outcome and goal of every season. He has a plan that we cannot see. So when I say He is for you, He is for every season, because while it may not seem like it in the moment, every season is for you. Every moment that takes place in your life is part of Him shaping, molding, and growing us more into the man/woman of God He has created you to be. So, run. Run your race. Run this lap. Sit in this season. Let the moments shape you. You might be sitting on the track, not motivated to keep running, He's meeting you there, now. But He won't leave you there. He'll place you back on your feet, get you walking, and back to running. Every lap counts towards the end of your race. You're seeing the immediate difficulty, He sees the eternal glory.