Final Step of the Journey, First Step Into the Promised Land
I was so very physically exhausted the other day. I didn’t “feel” like a Warrior. I felt like a worn-out puppy who needed a warm bowl of milk and a comfy bed. I told God that I felt so tired, and He gave me the above title. I immediately understood that the final step of the journey, right before one takes their first step into the Promise Land is not typically an energetic, “Oh, I feel so rested” step.
He reminded me that when the battles have been large and long, warriors do “feel” the effects of them, physically, but there is a difference between a soldier with a secular mindset and a soldier with a spiritual mindset. God’s Warriors know they are physically tired but spiritually victorious at all times. This truth allows them to continue to rise in His strength, in His power, and with His agenda. He told me not to be surprised that I was physically tired but reminded me that the world will think it odd that I still persevere. The world expected me to be quick a long time ago.
He also reminded me that my steps will lead to the Promised Land of all He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11). I simply must be obedient and believe that though the journey has been long, and I may feel physically tired, He will deliver me. This is my job: to believe and to continue to march.
Because of a family history full of people addicted to drugs and alcohol, and the fact that I had a mean stepfather, as a child I used to envision my feet as the actual feet of my future adult self, walking in my future life of goodness and peace. I would think of myself in the future, and I would imagine my life and my surroundings. I was a future-focused child, knowing that my future would appear in a beautiful way one day.
Just for fun, I looked up how many steps the average person takes in a day, and I calculated how many steps I would probably take in a year, and I multiplied it by how many years until I would leave (at the age of 18), and I considered that each step I took as a child brought me one step closer to my future.
The average person walks between 3-5,000 steps a day. So, let’s say that I was about 8 when I had this thought. That would mean that (let’s use 4,000 steps a day) I had 365 days time 10 (years) = 3,650 would need to be multiplied by 4,000 (steps) would equate to 14,600,000 (14 million, 600 thousand steps) steps left until I stepped into my future. It takes about 2,000 steps to walk a mile. So technically, my future was only 7,300 miles away. When I joined the Air Force at 18, I remember stepping onto the bus that would take me to the airport where I would board a plane headed to Texas for boot camp; I counted it as the 7,300thfinal step of my long journey of childhood and my first step into the promised land of my future as an adult. It had been a long journey. I was thankful, tired, and relieved.
When soldiers of the US military are serving at war, they don’t skip and laugh and dance back to base. They are tired, muddy, usually enduring exhaustion or an open wound, and they drink their water and wipe the dust from their face; they too look forward to rest and recovery.
“Think it not odd that you feel tired, but know that your power resides in whom you trust.” The final step of the journey and the first step into the Promise Land are side by side; they are only separated by a second and a centimeter, but they are fueled and secured by Christ.
The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. Deuteronomy 2:7
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 28 November 2023.
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