God’s Promises in the Midst of Ankle-Breakers
There is an ocean cove near us that is full of what I call “ankle-breakers”. It’s a beautiful place, but the beach is made up mostly of stones. They are the in-between sized rocks. They aren’t the tiny stones that pack close enough together so that the weight of your step crushes them, still giving support to your shoe. They also aren’t the large stones that are so heavy in and of themselves, that you can jump from one to the next and there’s no worry: your weight can’t make these babies move.
No, this beach is made up of ankle-breakers. They are rounded and the size of overstuffed hamburgers and mini watermelons. There is no support; with every step the rubber bottom of your shoe goes one way as your foot inside the shoe goes the other. Walking on them is treacherous and laborious. (I can only imagine my grandpa in his 80’s going over this turf.)
The time and effort you put in to cross an ankle-breaker beach is almost not worth it. I stop frustrated at how slow I am going and how weary it makes me.
“It shouldn’t be this hard”, I think to myself.
Isn’t this how life is, and can’t life be a beach of ankle-breakers?
I pause on the ankle-breaker beach. “Can’t I get around this more easily?” I could follow the perimeter along the cliff, but the bank is steep and the footing does not reach all the way around. And there is my answer. There are larger-perfectly sturdy rocks scattered throughout the ankle-breaker beach. I just have to reach them. When I find a patch of them, I could lunge from one to the next and avoid 60-80% of the ankle-breakers.
In life the ankle-breakers are disappointing circumstances, unanswered why’s, uncertainty in the future or people, people’s ever changing opinions on what you should do. But, the large rocks are God’s promises. They aren’t going anywhere or shifting under us. No, the promises of God are reliable and TRUE.
Finding God’s Promises in the Midst of Ankle-Breakers:
– I will provide for you. (Philippians 4:19)
– I am with you always; you are never really alone. (Psalm 118:1-8 | Psalm 139:1-12)
– I will rescue when you need help. (Psalm 54:4 | Psalm 46:1)
– I have made you well; you are valued. (Psalm 139:13-18)
– I have forgiven your sins and you are accepted. (Psalm 103:11-12)
– and so many more…
What about when there are No LARGE ROCKS?
There were moments on the beach where the large rocks were not present along my path. I had to venture out onto the ankle-breakers again. Ugghhh. Sometimes we have to do this; trudge through an unpleasant, trying circumstance we would rather not deal with. Where is the next promise God is whispering to you? It’s there. We move out in faith, that God will present the next solution or the next piece of peace within the storm, the next Promise.
”Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.