I love to walk, I love the way it makes my legs feel, the way it stretches my muscles and lubricates them to move more swiftly. It’s exhilarating to put my feet to the pavement, extend my stride, and press through my course; through the hills, valleys, and sharp turns until I have made it safely home. The benefits of exercising my muscles and the endorphins released are an added blessing that encourages me to walk on. Often times when life is overwhelming I stop what I’m doing and go for a walk. I take a walk with God and walk through whatever is pressing to weigh me down.

In Psalm23, David says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” I love the fact that he says “I walk through”. Meaning don’t take up residence with your trials…don’t dwell in them…don’t entertain them for the day and especially for the night. Instead move forward…walk on…there are better things waiting your attention!

There is nothing worse then letting your trials, your fears, you failures, and your disappointments defeat you. Letting them physically and emotionally get the best of you does nothing but cause greater fear, deeper pain, and increased frustration. A defeated mind-set only robs you of the blessings received through walking on and letting God work out the details of your situation.

I can testify, there have been many times when I’ve allowed my discouragement to hold me back. I’ve allowed a situation to get the best of me—to cause me to sit and wallow in it, like a dog digging through the trash seeking to satisfy his unending hunger. When you stop to stress over a situation, you soon loose sight of reality! You loose perspective of what is important. Your thinking has been plagued by selfish wants and wisdom has been sabotaged by what you classify as your “rights.”

Mentally and physically you weaken. You loose the muscle strength you’ve built from “pressing on” through the pain and the mental discipline from “overcoming doubt”. Although, pierced by guilt and baffled by a “no win” battle….you soon give up. You surrender to God, which is where it should have been to begin with. In due time you look back and see that nothing was gained from dwelling in the trials, except wasted energy and time.

Thankfully we serve a God of grace with un-ending love for His children. After we have suffered for a while see what God promise to do for us?

God’s grace doesn’t leave us in the pit of guilt but instead He promises to continue His work in us. I don’t know about you but I need His assurance. I need to know that God’s grace never gives up on me. I need to be reminded that His grace never stops because I stop…because I falter. Instead, His grace continues to perfect me into HIS image, to confirm who I am through HIS word, to strengthen me through the trials, and to continue to establish me as HIS child with purpose. HIS promise to personally continue to shape and mold me is what gives me the will…the hope…..to walk on!

Do you need to stop dwelling on your issues…your trials and walk on? Let me encourage you to renew your hope in God’s grace. WALK ON! Be assured that He is Himself is perfecting, confirming, strengthening and establishing you.

 
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Peggy Reeves is a speaker, writer and life coach. To find out more about Peggy please visit her website and blog at www.peggyreeves.com and http://embracinglifewithpeggy.blogspot.com