Navigating Life's Rough Paths with Faith: A Promise of Hope and Redemption
Luke 3:5b …the rough ways shall be made smooth;
In essence, God says that what might be rough today will be smoothed out on down the way. The best is certainly yet to come for the child of God. Oh, my brother, are you weary of the roughness of the way? Does your strength begin to fail you and your vigor to decay? Farther on, still go farther; count the mile-stones one by one. Jesus will forsake you never. It is better farther on!
Each step you take towards the finish line is another step behind you. I know that sometimes it feels as if you will not be able to take another step, but if you will just keep pressing on, God will strengthen you and enable you to complete your course. This text not only speaks to distance traveled and to progress made, but it also speaks to the reconciliation of past pains, failures, and disappointments.
If the truth be known, all of us have at some point experienced some kind of hardship which, to this day, is difficult for us to reconcile. Although we know that Romans 8:28 is in the Bible, sometimes we still struggle with the “why” of it all, do we not? Let’s be honest; at times we simply cannot see how it all will work together for our good.
We read of the goodness of God; we read of His majesty, His provisions, His power, His anointing, His compassion, His mercy, His gentleness, and His greatness. Yet, we experience things which, in our weakness, leave us bewildered and confused, wondering why it has to be this way. We sometimes think to ourselves, “If God is who the Bible says He is, then why do His people have to go through all the things we go through?”
Perhaps you have never thought that, but I know that somebody somewhere in the world reading this today must agree that moments like that do occur. Occasionally, our faith in God gets challenged. However, be that as it may, we find great comfort in our text! Just to know that God is able to reconcile all the wrongs in our lives, and that He is able to make all the crooked paths straight, and that He is able to make the rough ways smooth, gives us hope and meaning and purpose for the madness in life.
Farther along, we’ll know all about it. Farther along, we’ll understand why. Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine. We’ll understand it all by and by! Friend, lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
In essence, God says that what might be rough today will be smoothed out on down the way. The best is certainly yet to come for the child of God. Oh, my brother, are you weary of the roughness of the way? Does your strength begin to fail you and your vigor to decay? Farther on, still go farther; count the mile-stones one by one. Jesus will forsake you never. It is better farther on!
Each step you take towards the finish line is another step behind you. I know that sometimes it feels as if you will not be able to take another step, but if you will just keep pressing on, God will strengthen you and enable you to complete your course. This text not only speaks to distance traveled and to progress made, but it also speaks to the reconciliation of past pains, failures, and disappointments.
If the truth be known, all of us have at some point experienced some kind of hardship which, to this day, is difficult for us to reconcile. Although we know that Romans 8:28 is in the Bible, sometimes we still struggle with the “why” of it all, do we not? Let’s be honest; at times we simply cannot see how it all will work together for our good.
We read of the goodness of God; we read of His majesty, His provisions, His power, His anointing, His compassion, His mercy, His gentleness, and His greatness. Yet, we experience things which, in our weakness, leave us bewildered and confused, wondering why it has to be this way. We sometimes think to ourselves, “If God is who the Bible says He is, then why do His people have to go through all the things we go through?”
Perhaps you have never thought that, but I know that somebody somewhere in the world reading this today must agree that moments like that do occur. Occasionally, our faith in God gets challenged. However, be that as it may, we find great comfort in our text! Just to know that God is able to reconcile all the wrongs in our lives, and that He is able to make all the crooked paths straight, and that He is able to make the rough ways smooth, gives us hope and meaning and purpose for the madness in life.
Farther along, we’ll know all about it. Farther along, we’ll understand why. Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine. We’ll understand it all by and by! Friend, lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill