Christian Devotional, Inspirational Personal Testimonies
Date Published: 11-15-2025
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Read an excerpt...
The Hardest Climb
The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy
your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be
like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail....
Isaiah 32:2
Growing up, my family had the opportunity to visit Israel a few times. On my
first trip, we had heard about a waterfall at En Gedi, the desert oasis where
King David hid from Saul. Our trusted tour guide started our group on the right
path and then left us to find our own way. It was summer, and the sun was
intense. After barely five minutes, I was already feeling desperate for some
ice water; the lukewarm bottle I carried wasn’t cutting it.
Shortly into the hike, we encountered a man
coming down the trail toward us. His face flushed, he looked hot and worn out.
As he passed he said, “Don’t waste your time, it’s not worth it.” We paused,
discouraged. We’d heard that the waterfall was beautiful, but this new account
made us doubt. Was it worth further misery? The unanimous decision was to keep
going. We resumed our arduous and uncertain trek.
Somewhere along the trail, the trees that
initially served as a canopy for us disappeared. The sky was pure blue and gave
the sun’s rays a clear shot. The heat became more extreme and the “path” soon
turned to dusty, stone “steps”. Occasionally, we got off track and had to
retrace our steps to find where we had gone wrong. I felt somewhat lost in the
desert and wondered how long until we reached the end and if I’d have enough
strength.
Finally, exhausted, we found the oasis. It was
located in a protective rock cove and covered in vegetation. As I descended the
path down into the cove, just seeing the water splashing off the green foliage
made me feel cooler…or maybe the mist drifting through the air helped. We took
off our shoes and waded into the pool. The hot desert we had just endured was a
stark contrast to the cold, refreshing relief which now surrounded us.
Had we turned around any sooner, our efforts
would have felt pointless. Had it been a cool day and an easy climb, we may not
have appreciated God’s beauty as much as we did. We could have missed what
became one of my favorite experiences of the trip. There are several small
waterfalls along the way up, and our conclusion was that the stranger must have
given up before having reached the waterfall.
As we headed back, we passed others in search of the oasis. They looked hot and weary. We simply advised, “Keep going, it’s absolutely worth it!”
Father, there are times in life when
discouragement weighs us down, slowing or even stopping our progress. Help us
encourage one another and build each other up. In whatever difficult trials and
challenges we are experiencing, help us to not give up but instead remember
that the best view comes after the hardest climb. Amen.
All royalties from this devotional book will be donated to the building fund for Oakland Community Church's new building. Oakland's goal is to design a biophilic building that takes advantage of the beauty of our Jefferson County location.
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