By Rosa Zoghbi
Several years ago my godmother and I went on a vacation trip to Curacao, it is a beautiful island with clear water, vegetation and flowers. I happened to go to the beach one of those days on my own. Nature is very precious to me, it is a special connection between my Creator and I.
In the middle of this specific beach you were able to see the tip of some big rocks and I decided to swim there. Yes, a tourist girl who knew nothing about this beach thought it was a good idea to swim to the middle of nowhere just because. As I was swimming towards it the water got deeper, and the further I got the more I realized that it wasn’t as close as I thought, and I started to get tired but at this point the shore was farther than the actual rocks, so I focused on the destination and with a little bit of extra effort I made it to the rocks.
Sometimes our journey with God can be that way, you get a glimpse of His promise land and start walking towards it, the difference in this case is that God’s promises are actually made to give us life abundantly (John 10:10).
This glimpse of His promise land is the little spark that ignites our desire to reach everything He has for us, but when we start the journey we don’t do it thinking how difficult it is going to be. We don’t realize how long the distance can be, and in the midst of it all we get exhausted and want to go back and give up. But when we stop to look back we are so far ahead that we lose our way back and all we have left is the hope to keep our eyes fixed, not even on the promise land, but on The One who will help us, equip us and strengthen us to get there.
Giving up is not an option, God’s word says that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39). I don’t know how far in the journey you currently are, but I can assure you that He has never left you and He will never forsake you (Isaiah 41:10).
I personally believe that getting to the promise land is difficult not because God wants us to suffer but because it is through difficult times that we grow to become who He created us to be. The journey is the preparation before the possession of everything He has set for us since the beginning of time.
If I can count all the times I have thought of giving up and abort the dream I will honestly lose count.
Here are a few lessons I have learned in my personal journey:
- my past does not define me,
- my weakness does not determine who I am,
- my health does not determine who I am,
- my circumstances do not determine who I am,
- my job does not determine who I am,
- my family or friends do not determine who I am, and
- none of the above determine to Whom I belong.
Don’t get me wrong, all of these things matter, but they do not define you or determine to whom you belong to. If you have accepted Jesus in your heart you are a child of God and belong to Him (Galatians 3:26-29).
Let Him rescue you, no hole is too deep for Him. Let Him redeem you, nobody is too lost to be found by Him. Let Him love you, He has given all of Himself for you and me.
Whatever challenge you are facing today may your weight be lifted and your eyes opened to see beyond your circumstances and believe the One that loves you and protects you.
Rosa Zoghbi is a young woman whose heart has been captivated by the love of Jesus. She has boldly stepped out in faith over and over again as Jesus has called her to follow Him. She is single by choice and will not settle for less than what God has for her in any area of her life. She is strong, honest, and vulnerable. You will be blessed by her heart as she shares this word with you today.
– Cindy Grasso