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In The Stony Path Of Life, Pray For Strong Shoes

In The Stony Path Of Life, Pray For Strong Shoes

Last updated on: October 2, 2024 at 2:51 pm by Kathy King

In The Stony Path Of Life, Pray For Strong Shoes 2024-10-02T14:51:41-04:00 Kathy King

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“What wings are to a bird and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.” Corrie Ten Boom

When it looks like the world is going crazy, it is time to get on your knees and pray

When I started this article, I was going to write about life and the state of the world. After sitting for a moment and praying, I just felt that this was not the right direction in which to head. We all have a lot going on, and it seems the world is on fire. Things are happening fast. We don’t know what is going to happen next. It seems like August was a year ago. While it is normal to be concerned, I heard in my spirit. “Whom do you serve?” I thought, well. I serve God. “If you serve Me, where do you draw your peace from?”

I had left my worry in a bad place

At that moment I thought, “Oh boy. I’ve got things a little reversed.” What can we do when it seems there is no peace to be had?

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We must seek the peace of God

First, we must seek the peace of God. Not the peace that the world gives. Jesus said in John 14: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” In that verse, when Jesus used the word, Peace it means: the sense of rest and contentment. What does it mean to be content? To be in a state of peaceful happiness. To be satisfied. To be in a state of satisfaction. That peace is not present in the world but it is available from God above.

Scripture gives us a road map of peace

Philippians 4 tells us: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

The use of peace in this passage is Shalom. Wholeness. The state of forming a complete and harmonious whole; unity. The state of being unbroken or undamaged. Only God can give us peace. Let us pray these scriptures and dwell there. Don’t ignore what is going on, but rather know that God has a plan.

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We must pray each and every day

As a child I thought that prayer was eloquent and beautiful. The Lord’s Prayer comes to mind. As I got older my perception of prayer has changed a little bit. There are many benefits of prayer: communication, supplication, to ask for forgiveness of our sins. There are a host of reasons. Today I want to focus on the contentment that can come to prayer. In Jesus 11 Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The world makes us weary

Right now, the world and life can certainly make us weary. The word weary is translated: a beating, toil. Christ’s yoke is not simply imparted by Him but shared with Him. A yoke is a wooden beam that is used on a pair of oxen in order to move a large load of goods. Jesus wants you to share your burdens with Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Pray for those stony shoes to keep you walking in faith.

He will give you rest

He will give you rest. This definition was the most fascinating. Christ’s “rest” is not a “rest” from work, but in work, “not the rest of inactivity but of the harmonious working of all the faculties and affections, of will, heart, imagination, conscience, because each has found in God the ideal sphere for its satisfaction and development” We don’t stop working but Christ takes the yoke and pulls for you in taking that burden. He gives your soul and spirit much needed rest.

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God has a plan

Finally, we must know that God has a plan. Yesterday, I was talking to a friend about the state of the world as I often do at the moment. After listening to her worry I told her; no matter is currently leading, Jesus is still King. I often think of Corrie Ten Boom, I’ve written about her in the past. Her indomitable spirit still fascinates me to this day. She knew Jesus was the King in the most dire of circumstances. She spent time in one of the most deadly prison camps in Germany during World War II. She and her family hid Jews in their home to protect them during the Holocaust. Because of their hiding Jews, her entire family was put in Ravensbrueck. Her father died, her sister died. She lost everything. Yet she kept her faith. I would like to take a moment and share some of her lovely sayings.

“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”

“In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.”

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest.”

“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees”

“If God sends us on stony paths, he provides strong shoes.”

I encourage you all, dear readers, to make a prayer appointment, get to know God, learn to trust God and live in His strength.

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