By Pastor Mark Moreno

Meeting Challenges

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

Standing in front of a towering, green, lush mountain can make you ponder any number of thoughts: How will I climb this thing? Can I climb this thing? Maybe I should just go to the café at the foot of it and just look at this mountain through the window?

Taking up a challenge is always a bit overwhelming. We aren’t sure where to start, much less what the outcome will be. And from the moment we take up the challenge until we complete it, there are a million little moments where we doubt, have uncertainty, or simply want to give up.

This reminds me of time the disciples failed in one of their efforts. In Matthew17:19-21 we read,

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
English Standard Version

This picture is from the island of O’ahu and like much of the landscape, it is beautiful and green. But the hike is challenging! I believe we are meant to see the beauty in challenges. Even if we falter, even if we don’t accomplish what we had in mind, we are better for pushing ourselves and taking that step of faith.

God is with us in both failure and in success. In a world that is so driven to acquire and succeed, it does us well to ponder where God can be found in the challenge. Some of my most important growth came from the ashes and bitterness of failure. But God used that to push me to faith and trust in Him, as opposed to my own abilities.

What mountain stands before you right now? How might your faith in your Savior Jesus meet that challenge? God bless you as you walk with Him!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado