I don’t know how it is where you live, but in my hometown the road crews seem to be in overdrive right now. I find that in almost every direction I travel–whether it be on highways or back, country roads– I have to figure that I will be held up by a work crew somewhere along the way. The other day it was in two separate places. If I don’t give myself enough time, these delays can be very frustrating.
What a wonderful analogy of life. We are traveling along, living our life with our plans firmly in place and then we hit a delay. And then another one. And we find ourselves discouraged because these delays are not in our plans for our lives. We often will forget that the possibility of delays and detours is not only possible but quite probable.
And just as we can prepare for travel delays by making sure we have some extra time (rather than leaving at the last minute!) so, too, should we prepare for the inevitable trials and troubles of life by growing deep roots of faith while the sun shines.
You often hear people say that they grew the most spiritually during a particularly difficult trial they faced. And this is certainly true. God does use our trials to change and transform us. But let’s never forget that we need to be growing while all is well, too. Let us not get distracted from our Bible Study and prayer, simply because we are at an easy, mundane time of life. We need to be in the Word, learning and growing, so that we are strong and ready when the inevitable storms come.
Growing deep roots based on God’s Word will help us stand strong with courage and strength when we are under attack. If our heads are filled with the wonderful knowledge of who God is as defined in scripture and if we are familiar with the promises and commands held within His Word for His children, then we will be prepared for whatever we have to face.
But if our heads are filled with the fluff of worldly entertainment or, even worse, falsehoods about God and what His Word says in the trendy, religious books of today, then we will falter when the true tests come–because the definition of God and the religion they are describing will fall woefully short.
Oh, how we need to be in God’s Word. Studying it. Memorizing it. Obeying it. And, in so doing, we will be aptly prepared for the delays and storms that we are guaranteed to face sooner or later.
P.S. Check out my Bible Study Resources Page for some good biblical resources to get you started and be sure not to fall for this trap as you pick up the Bible for study.