The Destination Will Be Worth It

​ THE DESTINATION WILL BE WORTH IT

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary. … To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:3, 7)

Traveling is difficult when you have chronic pain or illness. Pack­ing a suitcase can exacerbate pain, and extensive preparations for travel can cause complete exhaustion before you even leave your house. For those with health issues, moving through an airport and spending long hours on a plane can make going on a dream vacation feel like a nightmare.

I learned that firsthand when my husband and I traveled to Hawai‘i last year. In all my daydreams about visiting Hawai‘i, I had never actually considered the physical toll it would take to get there. It seemed the painful hours spent in multiple airports and airplanes would never end. They did end, however, and after a day of rest, I found myself swimming in crystal-clear water, feeling like a child again as the water’s buoyancy relieved my pain. It turned out that the temporary troubles of traveling to paradise were worth it.

DESTINATION PARADISE

Paradise is the final destination for all who have received Jesus Christ as Lord. But hardship can block our eternal perspective, causing us to lose sight of true hope. What if I had decided that Hawai‘i could not possibly exist because the journey to get there was too difficult? That is what we do when we allow suffering to destroy faith in God’s promises. What if I had looked around the dimly lit airplane and begun to believe I would never leave its stuffy cabin? Imagine the discouragement that results when we believe that trials and hardships will never end.

Has suffering caused you to lose sight of the future God has planned for you? An eternal perspective gives us the hope we need to continue the journey. You do not travel alone; the Holy Spirit is your advocate, counselor, and helper in this life and your guarantee of eternal life. God has uniquely equipped you with everything you need to persevere. Remember, you have a way through anything you face when you have Jesus. Keep going. The destination He is preparing for you will be worth it.

PRAYER

Dear God, forgive me when I become so overwhelmed by the difficulties of the journey that I forget to rejoice and look forward to the destination. I can trust Your plan for my life, no matter the hardship, because You have promised never to leave or forsake me.

I will persevere because I bear Your name.
I will endure because You have given me everything I need for this life.
I can do all things because You strengthen me.
Thank You for helping me.
In Jesus’s name, amen.

EMBRACE

I can keep going because the destination Jesus is preparing me for will be worth it.

PONDER

• Have you ever told yourself that your illness or pain will last forever?
• How do thoughts like that affect your outlook or ability to endure?
• What can you do to gain a better perspective?

WORSHIP

“Worth It All” by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

This post is an excerpt from Incurable Faith (copyright © 2023 by Andrea Herzer, published by Multnomah). Published with permission.