It seems like increasingly of late, I am running into the stories of people who, in their pursuit of God, have been brought to places they never really wanted to go. They have found more than they bargained for. Lisa and I have experienced a bit of that ourselves of late, though not nearly to the magnitude that I have seen it in others.

God doesn't promise us all puppy dogs, rainbows and butterflies on this earth. But that begs the question, when you are pursuing Him, where do you find your strength and your ability to go on in the face of hardship? What happens when the One in whom you place your trust seems to lead you to even greater uncertainty and trouble?

Do you find your hope and strength in the faces of the hurting and destitute? Do you find it in the stories of injustice that abound in this broken world? Do you find your strength in the stories of others who, also in their pursuit of going deeper into God, have found themselves at places they would never have chosen on their own? Do you find your strength and hope in Jesus' hands, feet, broken brow, and pierced side? Do you find it in the triumph of those who paved the way and blazed the trail before us? Do you find it in His Word? In your own increasing humility?

It's tough when you're walking a path that leads to a place you know not. Jesus walked that path but how easy is it to find your strength in an earthly life that is two thousand years removed from yourself? Or do you see His life in the life of others .... in the life of yourself?

If you're following hard after God and yet finding yourself struggling, know that I am praying for you at this moment. Hopefully somewhere if you review this post, you will find a glimmer of hope, an ounce of strength, to help you on your journey for today.