Hill Country

Joshua 17:18 – But the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong. (NASB)

I have been in the foothills of Alberta quite a few times. We drive through them; there are many hills to go up and down. Driving in the foothills takes more gasoline than driving on the flat prairie.

Sometimes we have walked through a portion of the foothills. Then we especially notice the hills — exerting plenty of energy climbing up, but expending a different kind of energy bracing ourselves while coming down the hills. It takes a lot of energy but also a lot of faith to climb those hills — faith to know that we can make it, faith to know that we can put one foot ahead of another, faith to know that the top of the hill is there, even though we can't see it all the time.

As we age, we aren't always able to climb hills. We sit and watch the younger generation tackle that adventure with enthusiasm. We can enjoy watching them, and we can pray for them as they climb the hills.

So too, in life, we are strong and carry on climbing with faith in God, trusting Him to get us to the top of the hill. Then the next generation comes along. We don't have the energy to keep up any more. But my, we do have the power to pray. What a huge responsibility that is! What a connection with God! It draws us closer to people as well. We can drive out the enemy by praying. Praying is one form of being a warrior for the Lord. May we ever be conscious of this fact.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes when we get a bit older, we can feel pretty useless. We feel we aren't needed as much. We can't keep up with the fast pace of life. But, Jesus, we know that there is a purpose for us here, or You would have taken us home to be with You. Sometimes we think that praying is such a minimal, insignificant part of life. Please remove that thinking pattern from us. We can tread down enemies by prayer. It is Your power that does that. And we give You the honour and glory for that. Thank You for laying it on our hearts to pray — for those in need, for safety, for comfort, for strength, for healing, for peace, for fulfillment that is found only in You — the list goes on and on. We love You, Lord. Amen.

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