I like to hike. My favorite part is getting to the top of some high place with a view and having a rest and a snack. Maybe a cool breeze is blowing up there where the air is a bit thinner. Birds and chipmunks frolic in the rocks and shrubs.

I like being at those lofty lookouts a lot more than I like the effort required to get there. It’s a lot of work. But when I have been working hard to stay fit, I don’t mind that trek as much. Regular training pays off by giving me a seemingly easier climb up steep trails. My stronger muscles make it feel like gravity has lost some of its power even though it doesn’t change from one day to the next.

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭8,‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Spiritual training works in a similar way. If I make the effort to study God’s word, spend time in prayer with praise and thanksgiving, my spiritual muscles get stronger. Each day I am a little more confident in God’s power and faithfulness. The more I contemplate who He is and what He’s done, the more I trust Him to be my good, loving God.

When a mountain of struggle, heartache, conflict, disease, or grief rises up before me, those spiritual muscles will come in handy. Without them, those challenges will feel overwhelming. But with the strength wrought from regular prayer and Bible study, I will have a significant edge. I will be able to enjoy the view from the mountaintop that much quicker.

God gives me all the tools I need to climb with Him up any mountain that comes my way. But I need to put them to use. A treadmill doesn’t work as a coat rack. And a Bible doesn’t work collecting dust on a bookshelf.

Dear God, thank you for giving me the tools I need to build spiritual muscles. Thank you for helping me prepare for the difficult times that come with this fallen world. Thanking for hiking up with me, encouraging me along the way, and providing a beautiful view from the top.