This is the Breathe Meditation for the week.  Written and produced to help you know, love, and enjoy God, to follow Him with your heart, and to love like Jesus.

For six episodes we are looking at what the Bible says about how we can weather unavoidable headwinds and hardship.

In this episode, we learn the greatest things are always hedged about by the hardest things.

Over forty years ago I underlined this verse in my well-worn Bible.

…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

This is what I call my “life verse”: a Bible verse that has become prophetic, encouraging, and inspiring.

With almost every setback, betrayal, or self-inflicted gunshot wound God has guided me with this verse.

It points me to follow Jesus with my heart and to adopt His ways come hell or high water.

The hill country speaks of headwinds and hardships I’ve encountered and continue to strive against.  They are heavily defended and resistant yet, the verse inspires hope.

In my old worn copy of Streams in the Desert are these words inspired by Joshua 17:18.

The greatest things are always hedged about the hardest things, and we too shall find mountains and forests and chariots of iron…

The very hardships that you are enduring in your life today are given by the Master for the explicit purpose of enabling you to win your crown.

Do not wait for some ideal situation, some romantic difficulty, some far-away emergency; but rise to meet the actual conditions which the providence of God has placed around you today.

Your crown of glory lies embedded in the very heart of these things - those hardships and trials that are pressing you this very hour, week, and month of your life.

Go with God.  He goes with you!

Prayer

Thank You, God, that hardship need not be something to avoid at all costs, but an opportunity to grow in my devotion and follow-through as a follower of Jesus.  You are with me always!

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