How can hiking help us in our walk with God? Here is a devotion that reveals parallels between hiking and our journey through life:

IN WORD Nearly everyone has a spiritual mountaintop experience on occasion. For most of us, this is how we measure our spiritual maturity. We assume that the heights we’ve reached indicate the level to which we’ve grown.
But God has a different measure of our maturity. It’s not about the peaks we’ve scaled but our consistency between them. The peaks are great; we need them for an occasional boost. But they do not define us. Learning the mind of God is not a roller-coaster experience.
It’s a steady climb. This is where many Christians go astray. We let our spiritual highs determine our self-image, and we live off of their memory while neglecting daily growth. We think we’ve stocked up on our Godward obligations and that He must be satisfied with us as long as we are satisfied with ourselves. A peak experience will indeed give us a satisfying feeling for a while, and we’ll gladly dwell on it as long as we can. But while we dwell there, we can lose sight of today’s needs. Think of the inconsistency of that. Do we feast one day and then decide that we need no more nutrition for a few weeks? No, our bodies pester us with their need for daily sustenance, no matter how well we ate the day before. Our souls are more subtle. We respond to their hunger pangs with memories of past meals and expect them to be satisfied. But sporadic love isn’t love at all, and occasional obedience is an oxymoron. True discipleship is consistent.
IN DEED Our God is not One to be appeased periodically and ignored in the interims. His love for us is constant and persistent. His character never changes. His mercy is new every morning, and His compassion does not fail. If our minds are being renewed to be like His, isn’t consistency a logical result? The blessings of discipleship and worship are found only in their constancy. Measure yourself not by your highs or lows, but by who you are in between them. “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”- Charles Spurgeon (in “Walking with God” by Chris Tiegreen)

I am currently attending Arise Asia 2023 in Bangkok where 1200 18-31-year-olds from 35 countries are gathered in the hopes of raising a new generation with a heart to reach the nations. As Western missionaries have done so in the past 200 years, so the torch is being passed to Asians. Today’s messages focused on a life with a purpose. Speakers reminded the young adults that the Christian life is not about seeking highs, but a long obedience through the hills and valleys. Life is not about experiences as so many are seeking today, but about faithfulness to God’s singular call to share His life and His heart.
It is akin to hiking. To reach the final destination, one must persevere. One does not give up when one has reached a lookout, for it may be secondary to the true vista at the end of the trail.
How are you living life daily? Are you seeking good experiences and good circumstances? Take time to read the book of James this week and ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop an attitude of perseverance in your journey with God. Have a blessed week! – from Bangkok, Pastor Sam