Our Christian Walk....err, Hike!

This saturday I had a chance to do a day hike with my buddy Tom. For those of you who know the area, we hiked out of Crabtree Trailhead up to Bear Lake. What a beautiful piece of country. If you have never been backpacking or hiking in the "back country", then you have truly not seen some of God's greatest wonders.

The hike was 3 1/2 miles in to Bear Lake. During the hike, I endured a number of obstacles, followed by an equal number of rewards. The first daunting task was the first mile of the hike. If you have ever hiked out of Crabtree, the first mile or so is a steep climb up. However, when you reach the top, there is a great sigh of release, as the rest of the hike is small ups and downs.

I had to stop once during the climb, as my body was not ready for it. It certainly put me to the test. Yet, it was during this climb that God began to show me something about my relationship withhim as a Christian. This climb was very hard for me, I struggled, I had to stop and rest, but eventually I made it to the top. What a reward I received at the top, knowing that I did it! I made it. As a result of reaching the top, I was blessed with two more rewards: The chance to see Camp Lake and Bear Lake nestled among the boulders and trees of God's Land.

No one paid me to go on this hike, it wasn't part of my job, I just did it for the reward. That is the same as our Christian walk. No one forces us to become a Christian, or to become a better Christian. We do this out of our own free will. At times our Christian Walk, like my hike, can be very hard, we feel like stopping and resting, or worse, quiting. We have to make the "right decision" and "study the Word", "live by example" and any other buzz words that you may hear to describe our walk.

However, much like my hike, the rewards are worth it. Of Course, the ultimate reward...eternity in Heaven! However, much like my hike on Saturday, we are blessed with many rewards along the way....a wonderful Godly spouse, children who love the Lord, a job that meets the needs of our family, a great church to attend, so on and so on.

Thank you Lord for the many rewards in my own life that help me to stay focused on you and gives me the energy to keep working hard and hiking up the hill!

May the Lord give you the same rewards as you take on your own Christian Hike!