by Victoria Heinecke

Pressing onward towards the goal.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“ I can do all things through (Jesus Christ) who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13 English Standard Version (ESV)

Spoiler alert: no snails were harmed in the following story!

I was tending a garden in my youth when I saw a snail crawling along the sidewalk. In an attempt to move it back into the garden, I found a pack of matches and tried to coax it onto the matchbook’s cover. Every time it sensed the cover it changed direction, and slowly moved along. After a while, I had an idea: I lit one of the matches and hovered it behind the snail. It sensed the heat and crawled much faster to escape the flame. I was surprised at how fast a snail could crawl!

I learned a life lesson that day. Anyone can do anything, when sufficiently motivated or encouraged.

Just as the snail found extra motivation to persevere, Jesus strengthens us to persevere through this life. Amid the good times, and the trials, he is always there, encouraging us to keep our eyes towards Heaven and eternal joy with Jesus as our focus.

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 3:13b-14 ESV

Dear Lord, thank you for everyone whose path crosses mine every day. For you have ordained that to be. May they see your love and compassion in all I say and do. Amen.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Colorado Springs, Colorado