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Key Bible Verse: But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. … They will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Bonus Reading: Philippians 3:12–14

My summer in an outdoor leadership training program in the Rockies revolved around the hike. We spent days clambering over hills, easing our way across slopes, following animal trails and retired logging roads. I was thoroughly out of shape and most grateful that during the first few weeks we learned the rest step.

From a physics standpoint, the rest step is the most practical way to climb a hill. You take a step, lock your knee, and pause for just a second. Then you step again, lock your knee, and pause once more. Keep a slow and steady rhythm, and resist the temptation to look up to gauge the distance to the top of the hill. At first you'll feel you're hardly moving, then you'll slowly find the rhythm of it. Before you know it, you're at the top of the hill—and not even winded!

God calls us to be patient. Even with muscles sore and spirits weary from a seemingly endless uphill battle, we can know that we'll reach the top. We can keep our slow, steady pace, and know that even when it seems we aren't moving, God is leading us towards that goal. And we'll reach it not in weakness or exhaustion, but in the strength and victory of Christ.

—David Shepherd in Alberta

My Response: An area of my life in which I may need to take rest steps is …

Thought to Apply: Victory is not won in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later win a little more. —Louis L'Amour (author of western novels)

Adapted from Preaching Today by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, I trust You to act when the time is right. Give me the discipline to wait for Your time.

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