As I get older, I realize I cannot eat whatever I want and then just lay down, watch TV all day and expect to stay the same size. Brain cells die, skin cells die, even hair cells die. But the fat cells in my stomach have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior since they seem to have eternal life!

At 40-years-old, eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, staying positive, treating people right is all SO HARD. Why do we do it though? Why does that 60-year-old person go back to school and get that degree? Why do we love our children when they make us want to pull our hair out? It’s because everything we long for is on the other side of hard. If it were easy, then everyone would be doing it.

Being a Christ follower is not for the faint of heart. Satan will attack you every chance he gets. He knows your weaknesses and will bombard you with them daily. But how do the people who have gone before us get through it all? They don’t rely on themselves and their own strength.They depend on Jesus to carry them through it.

Each time he does it, it gets easier and easier until Satan is stressing trying to find new weaknesses of yours to exploit. Anytime you feel like giving up. Your strength is gone. You try to convince yourself it is not worth it.

When you feel like giving up, when your strength is gone, when you begin to believe that living the way God calls you to live is not worth it, remember this: everything you want – everything you’ve ever hoped and long for – is on the other side of hard. If you see someone going through it, encourage them to press on toward the mark, to hold onto Jesus, and to not ever, ever, ever give up.

Dear God and Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending your son to this earth to do the hardest thing possible and dying for our sins. Even he didn’t want to go through with it. But everything he wanted was on the other side of hard and he pushed through. Give me the wisdom and strength to make it. Also give me an attitude of gratitude to where I encourage others to push through. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Throughout this Day: As you find yourself in challenging situations today, cry out to the Lord. Repent of your sins and invite the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and give you perseverance.



Tags: Daily Devotional Deuteronomy 31
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