Hill Country
"But the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall
clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out
the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are
strong." (Joshua 17:18--NASB)
I have been in the foothills of Alberta quite a few times. We drive through them
and there are many hills to go up and down. It takes more gas than driving on
our flat prairie. Sometimes we have walked through a portion of the foothills.
Then we especially notice the hills-exerting lots of energy climbing up but also
a different kind of energy bracing ourselves coming down the hills. It takes a
lot of energy but also a lot of faith to climb those hills-faith to know that we
can make it, faith to know that we can put one foot ahead of another, faith to
know the top of the hill is there even though we can't see it all the time.
As we age, we aren't always able to climb hills. We sit and watch the younger
generation tackle that adventure with enthusiasm. We can enjoy watching them,
and pray for them as they climb the hills.
So too, in life, we are strong and carry on climbing with faith in God, trusting
Him to get us to the top of the hill. Then the next generation comes along. We
don't have the energy to keep up any more. But my, we do have the power to pray.
What a huge responsibility that is. What a connection with God. It draws us
closer to people as well. We can drive out the enemy by praying. Praying is one
form of being a warrior for the Lord. May we ever be conscious of this fact.
Prayer: Lord, sometimes when we get a bit older, we feel pretty useless. We feel
we aren't needed as much. We can't keep up with the fast pace of life. But,
Jesus, we know there is a purpose for us here, or You would have taken us home
to be with You. Sometimes we think that praying is such a minimal, insignificant
part of life. Please remove that thinking pattern from us. We can tread down
enemies by prayer. It is Your power that does that. And we give You the honor
and glory for that. Thank You for laying it on our hearts to pray-for those in
need, for safety, for comfort, for strength, for healing, for peace, for
fulfillment that is only found in You. The list could go on and on. We love You,
Lord. Amen
Judy Miller