Devotion: Just Do Today
Sometimes it can feel overwhelming trying to choose what to read out of your whole big Bible. Sometimes it’s intimidating knowing how to spend your quiet time with God when there are no prompts or guidelines. That’s why Collide’s Next Steps Coordinator, Michelle Holladay, wrote a devotion for every single week this year – so you can take the guesswork out of your devotional time and relax into prayer and reading. Join us on the blog each week for a new devotion.
Read – Hebrews 12:1-13
I ran a half marathon once – ONCE. For some of you, that’s no big deal, but for me, it’s huge. I’ve never been accused of being athletic. Growing up, my sister used to call me a “ball nerd”. So when I got the idea in my head that I wanted to run a half marathon, part of me worried I wouldn’t be able to do it.
While training for a distance run, there is not much to do except listen to music, take in God’s beautiful creation, and think. Much of my time was spent in prayer and God taught me some powerful lessons on those runs. One of the lessons I learned is obvious – perseverance, but what I learned about perseverance took me by surprise. I thought persevering meant looking ahead, setting goals and focusing on the long term but sometimes, persevering means focusing on what is right in front of you.
I remember going on a five-mile run one day and having a really tough time. I began to get discouraged and I thought, “How can I possibly run 13.1 miles if I can barely make it through 5?” I heard God’s gentle answer, “You don’t have to run 13.1 miles today. Today you have to run 5. Just concentrate on the miles for today.” So many times, we worry about what lies ahead. We know by worrying we cannot add a single hour to our lives but we try it anyway.
Are you in a situation that seems daunting? Maybe you can’t even muster the strength to imagine seeing it through to the end. That’s OK. You don’t have to see your way to the end; you just have to see yourself through today. Keep running – you can do it!!! Just do today.
