Plodding On

Some weeks can be tough; things don’t go right, people don’t cooperate, the weather is not good, and things can go wrong. All we can do is trudge on during times like this. If we allowed discouragement to dictate our next move, we would stop, but we don’t listen to the negative voices in our heads. Instead, we trust that God is working even in this terrible trial we are experiencing.

Discouragement tells us to quit; we are not worthy and paints a picture of what we have done from the view of failure. Our enemy uses discouragement to get us to change our direction or, even worse, quit; instead, we plod on.

There is something to be said about just plodding on even when we are tired, discouraged, or confused. At that moment, we are bombarded by the accusations of people, and worst of all, Satan is the great accuser. But, plodders keep on going. They may go slow or backward for a while, but they don’t quit; they keep at it!

David describes a time when he struggled: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

I had nearly lost my foothold” (Psalm 73:2). This description could be for all of us. David tells us his thoughts and struggles in that Psalm, but at the end, he tells us what made the difference:

“till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” (Psalm 73:17). When David entered God’s presence, he realized how inaccurate his thinking was, and his perspective changed. If we keep plodding on until we hear from God, we, too, will see things from his perspective.

Isaiah gives us the secret to find strength in these difficult times with these marvelous words:

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.