There's a proverb of Solomon that goes, "A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul." When Becky and I finished building our house, there was a deep sense of sweetness that came over us. I've had a similar feeling whenever I've finished writing a book. There is a sense of sweetness knowing that the Lord sustained you through the long and sometimes tedious process of bringing a new book into print.
It may sound strange, but at 74 I find it sweet to chase down certain athletic goals like marathoning or mountaineering or surfing. I keep learning that growth occurs when things are hard, not when things are easy. Muscles grow that way, a fact I was reminded of during my workout this morning. It's these arms that will either allow me or not allow me to paddle out at Waikiki in a couple of weeks.
I think I may be a bit like Peter in the New Testament. He's a man who never stayed lukewarm about anything. Yes, he was impulsive. He could be impetuous. He often went to the heights of ecstasy and he went to the depths of discouragement. But one thing never changed. He lived life to the fullest. And he trusted God for it all. That's the life I want to live. It's the kind of life that can't be measured by income or by health or lack thereof or by family tradition or by culture or by geography. It's available to whomever, whenever. That's what my life is committed to. It means soaring above the drag of fear and negativism and pessimism. It means trying your best not to let the trials of life make you a grim kind of person. You continually remind yourself of the sovereignty of God. You remember that nothing comes to you apart from the will and plan of God. It must all pass through his fingers before it touches you. He is the sovereign Lord. He is in control.
Reread Jer. 32:27 where God asks, "Is anything too hard for me?" Where the word "anything" appears, substitute the burden you are currently carrying. Release the grip on your worries now. Then live to the hilt whatever you are convinced is the will of God for your life (Jim Elliott).