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“Blessed be the Lord who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.”  Psalm 68:19 (ESV)

“You can do anything for 60 seconds,” echoed my online trainer.  I can still hear those words as I tackled a hard workout in 2020.  With all the gyms closed, I opted for the next best option – online exercise classes.  Now, I’m an avid exerciser but this class really kicked – it worked muscles I didn’t know I had.  “You can do anything for 60 seconds” got me through.

Amazing how those motivational words have served me well over the last few years.  Every challenge I encountered was combated with “You can do anything for 1 hour, 1 morning, 1 day, 1 week….” I think we all get the picture.

Challenges can definitely sidetrack us, consume us with worry and overwhelm our stress meter.  If we’re not careful we can zero in on the impossibilities versus trusting our God to empower us to tackle each one.

Easier said than done isn’t it?  My tendency is to take in the whole picture – the entire challenge – and that leaves me feeling powerless.  Exhaustion overwhelms me when just simply playing it all out in my head. Unfortunately, this scenario causes me to write my version of the end of the story – “I can’t do anything.”  Lies straight from the enemy’s lips.  Discouragement and doubt are always his fave ammunition. Satan seizes every opportunity to elevate our weakness and diminish God’s faithfulness. Louie Giglio puts it this way: “The enemy only needs the tiniest crack. A sliver of opportunity.  The smallest window of doubt or uncertainty.”

When we chose to echo, “We can do anything for…..” we are reminded we are not alone in our struggles. When we tap into God’s power and rest in His strength, we can manage the kick of daily pressures.  Leaning on God versus leaning on self positions us to make better decisions, navigate our responses and minimize negative reactions toward others. Focusing on our God instead of the depth of our challenge reminds us He is our daily wisdom, counselor, peace giver and sustainer. He alone knows what we need each step of the way (Matthew 6:11), and He promises to provide for us today – right now. We can confidently trust Him to see us through moment by moment.

Sweet friends, 2025 will probably present us with some challenges we didn’t expect.  None of us knows what a day, month or year will bring.  Just like my online exercise class worked different muscle groups, each challenge we face works to cultivate growth and perseverance (James 1:2-4).  Transforming us daily to cling to our faith rather than self. God is fully aware of what lies ahead, and He is ready to carry us through one step at a time.

“Father, You can be trusted to walk alongside us each day as we face challenges.  You are the One we can lean on.  You are the only One who empowers us to defeat the enemy’s lies.  Thank You for making us victorious even when we can’t see it.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life