January 8, 2025
“Life is hard, sometimes harder than it needs to be.” That is how my client started the conversation when he called me. I was very chipper and tried to assure him that I would do my best to support him in the matter. But I couldn’t help but remember how the previous day I had thought the very same thing.
It seems that no matter who you are, at some point life gets hard. Was it meant to be this way? Were we meant to have to struggle? I know that there is triumph in tribulation and suffering makes you stronger, but was that God’s plan for us from the beginning, or do we make life harder for ourselves than it needs to be? What if our life on earth was just a long journey, and even though we get seasons of rest along the way, it’s not till we really get home that we can put our weight down and find peace? That would explain the constant struggle we face on this side of heaven.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). We can be partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), which is flowing with peace, and we can live with our eyes fixed on Him. We can go to Him and find rivers of living water (John 7:37–38). We can be on this journey that includes hardship and suffering and yet still enjoy the freedom and peace that He offers.
I get easily distracted, going from one thing to the next, and I sometimes find it hard to remember to come back to something I’ve started. So, when things get busy, I forget to find peace by going to Jesus, the source of living water. Then I am reminded like I was today, while I am going about my daily tasks, that there is someone who waits to walk beside me if I will let Him. Someone who will give me peace in the midst of a storm, who will provide a place of refuge when I feel lost and I don’t know what my next move should be. When I think I can’t take another step, He carries me. When I am in need of friendship, He is my friend who listens and comforts me. When I am in doubt, He encourages my faith.
The reality that life is hard somehow served as a reminder for me that, yes, it may be difficult, but there is also hope and faith and a God big enough to handle all my problems and more. He is the living, breathing Word come to life and made flesh among us (John 1:14). He is the rock and the anchor that I need (Psalm 18:2, Hebrews 6:19).
We all face our personal battles and need help. I have a real God on my side and He sees me. I only hope the client I spoke to today can have that same perspective and an anchor to get them through their day. I said a prayer and asked my Creator to help the weary traveler to find the rest that he needed.
If you, my fellow traveler, find yourself on a difficult part of your journey, my prayer for you is that you can stop, look up at the stars, and know that home is not far away, that rest and peace are available through the Prince of Peace.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). You see, He wants to be there for us. He wants us close. All we have to do is come to Him. Life gets busy and we forget sometimes, but He doesn’t, so He sends us nudges, reminders of His presence, and we get glimpses of that joy.
What makes heaven so special? His presence! Life with Him contains joy and peace. The everyday struggles we face, if we let them, can serve as a reminder to go to that presence to find peace and to bask in the sunshine of His love.
Not everything that’s difficult is unpleasant. Joy can be found in overcoming challenges. But anything that’s worth something costs something.
I’d like to leave you with a song called “Weary Traveler,” by Jordan St. Cyr, that has encouraged me through some hard days. A line from the chorus says, “Weary traveler, restless soul, you were never meant to walk this road alone...” I pray that you can find the strength to carry on today, by resting in the peace found through walking in His presence.
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