Being a fitness enthusiast all my life, since being saved, I have observed that God has taught me a lot of lessons while working out by relating certain fitness challenges to challenges in the spirit or in life. Riding my bike recently, I received a lesson from the Lord on my bike route that led to a revelation that opened my eyes in the spirit.
I bike several times a week, various routes and various distances from 5 miles to 25 miles. On this particular day, I was feeling like a challenge. So I chose one of my longer routes of 25+ miles, which included a 2 mile hill beginning at mile 10. As always, I like to make all of my challenging hills represent a major challenge in life and approach it with the intent of conquering it and the problems it represented. And many times when I conquer a physical challenge, it helps me conquer whatever the problem I face in life during the same time.
As I approached the 2-mile hill, as usual, I told the Lord, “Today this hill represents all of the financial challenges I am facing as of this day.” And up the hill I went. About a fourth of a mile up the hill I was surprised to find that the street was under heavy construction. The pavement had been ripped up for repaving and the traffic lanes were reduced from four down to two. This was a problem because the reduction of traffic lanes meant the cars were passing me on my bike path a little closer than usual. To my left the cars passed frightfully close and on my right the curb was higher than normal because of construction. This gave me no room for error while biking on this quarter mile section of ripped up road. If I drifted to the left I could get hit by a car and if I drifted to the right the curb would cause me to fall off the bike.
At first my thought was to turn around and ride this hill another day, but because I made this hill represent all of the financial challenges being faced that week, I felt a determination that I should not stop. This hill must be defeated this day in order to defeat the life challenges the hill represented. I was praying in the spirit the entire time during that section of road for the Lord to give me strength and focus to make it safely to the paved section approaching up ahead. As long as I focused on my praying and the Lord, I didn’t think about the danger close by. As I did that, the Holy Spirit reminded me that that’s what I need to be doing throughout the current financial challenge, keep my eyes on the Him. The Spirit reminded me of His word, (Phil.4:13) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:19) “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus” and (1 Peter 5:7) “ I cast all my care on You, O Lord, because You care for me.” These scriptures could be applied to both the hill I was facing as well as the challenges I was facing.
Before I knew it, I was back on the paved part of the road continuing up the second half of the hill. The lanes widened back to four lanes and the bike path felt safe again. This part of the hill is much steeper than the first half and the only way to not get discouraged and stop is to only look several feet in front of my bike, keeping a steady pace that I knew I could handle, a little bit at a time. The Holy Spirit revealed to me during this time that it is easy to get overwhelmed by problems when you look at them as a whole. However, when you look at them one at a time and deal with them one at a time, you chop the debt monster down in size one limb at a time.
I finally reached the top of the hill successfully, praise God. Now my thoughts were focused on whether or not I should return by going down the hill and dealing with all that traffic chaos and ripped up road or continue on by crossing over the overpass and return on a different road back avoiding that snarled mess completely. I chose the second choice to continue on and go back a different route.
After crossing the overpass towards the other road home, I discovered that a shorter but steeper hill, to my surprise, stood between me and the road home. This second hill wasn’t even half the length of the first hill but still pretty steep. What made it hard was the fact that it was unexpected. I had mentally prepared for the first hill but I had to fight not to get overwhelmed by the unexpected second hill. My body fought against my will trying to get me to get off the bike and walk but to me that wasn’t a choice. This unexpected hill was no different than unexpected problems that pop up in our life by surprise that can so easily discourage us if we don’t keep our eyes on the Lord at all times.
Half way up the second hill, I was exhausted but determined to make it. I had to stop two times, just long enough to catch my breath and keep going. Giving up and walking was not an option. With each push of the bike peddle, I encouraged myself by saying “God.. is.” over and over until I made it to the top, praise God. Finally, the road leveled. After short quarter of a mile of level road, I came to the street that would take me down the hill and on my way home. The test was over, physically, mentally and spiritually.
When I reached home, my feeling of accomplishment in making it over both hills transferred to the confidence of attacking my financial challenges head on and knowing God is with me in defeating the mountain of debt facing me just as He was with me as I called on Him to give me the strength to get over those hills. (Jer.33:3) “Call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” (1 Cor.9:8) “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have a abundance for every good work.”
God can give you a word in any environment, if you listen for His voice of wisdom and guidance. (Eph. 3:20) “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Since being saved, it has amazed me how many lessons or words He has given me during all of my various workouts. He will take the things you enjoy doing, insert His word like He did during my bike ride, then give you revelation knowledge on how to apply that lesson in your life. All we have to do is trust Him. (1 John 4:4) …”because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (Prov.3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
I bike several times a week, various routes and various distances from 5 miles to 25 miles. On this particular day, I was feeling like a challenge. So I chose one of my longer routes of 25+ miles, which included a 2 mile hill beginning at mile 10. As always, I like to make all of my challenging hills represent a major challenge in life and approach it with the intent of conquering it and the problems it represented. And many times when I conquer a physical challenge, it helps me conquer whatever the problem I face in life during the same time.
As I approached the 2-mile hill, as usual, I told the Lord, “Today this hill represents all of the financial challenges I am facing as of this day.” And up the hill I went. About a fourth of a mile up the hill I was surprised to find that the street was under heavy construction. The pavement had been ripped up for repaving and the traffic lanes were reduced from four down to two. This was a problem because the reduction of traffic lanes meant the cars were passing me on my bike path a little closer than usual. To my left the cars passed frightfully close and on my right the curb was higher than normal because of construction. This gave me no room for error while biking on this quarter mile section of ripped up road. If I drifted to the left I could get hit by a car and if I drifted to the right the curb would cause me to fall off the bike.
At first my thought was to turn around and ride this hill another day, but because I made this hill represent all of the financial challenges being faced that week, I felt a determination that I should not stop. This hill must be defeated this day in order to defeat the life challenges the hill represented. I was praying in the spirit the entire time during that section of road for the Lord to give me strength and focus to make it safely to the paved section approaching up ahead. As long as I focused on my praying and the Lord, I didn’t think about the danger close by. As I did that, the Holy Spirit reminded me that that’s what I need to be doing throughout the current financial challenge, keep my eyes on the Him. The Spirit reminded me of His word, (Phil.4:13) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:19) “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus” and (1 Peter 5:7) “ I cast all my care on You, O Lord, because You care for me.” These scriptures could be applied to both the hill I was facing as well as the challenges I was facing.
Before I knew it, I was back on the paved part of the road continuing up the second half of the hill. The lanes widened back to four lanes and the bike path felt safe again. This part of the hill is much steeper than the first half and the only way to not get discouraged and stop is to only look several feet in front of my bike, keeping a steady pace that I knew I could handle, a little bit at a time. The Holy Spirit revealed to me during this time that it is easy to get overwhelmed by problems when you look at them as a whole. However, when you look at them one at a time and deal with them one at a time, you chop the debt monster down in size one limb at a time.
I finally reached the top of the hill successfully, praise God. Now my thoughts were focused on whether or not I should return by going down the hill and dealing with all that traffic chaos and ripped up road or continue on by crossing over the overpass and return on a different road back avoiding that snarled mess completely. I chose the second choice to continue on and go back a different route.
After crossing the overpass towards the other road home, I discovered that a shorter but steeper hill, to my surprise, stood between me and the road home. This second hill wasn’t even half the length of the first hill but still pretty steep. What made it hard was the fact that it was unexpected. I had mentally prepared for the first hill but I had to fight not to get overwhelmed by the unexpected second hill. My body fought against my will trying to get me to get off the bike and walk but to me that wasn’t a choice. This unexpected hill was no different than unexpected problems that pop up in our life by surprise that can so easily discourage us if we don’t keep our eyes on the Lord at all times.
Half way up the second hill, I was exhausted but determined to make it. I had to stop two times, just long enough to catch my breath and keep going. Giving up and walking was not an option. With each push of the bike peddle, I encouraged myself by saying “God.. is.” over and over until I made it to the top, praise God. Finally, the road leveled. After short quarter of a mile of level road, I came to the street that would take me down the hill and on my way home. The test was over, physically, mentally and spiritually.
When I reached home, my feeling of accomplishment in making it over both hills transferred to the confidence of attacking my financial challenges head on and knowing God is with me in defeating the mountain of debt facing me just as He was with me as I called on Him to give me the strength to get over those hills. (Jer.33:3) “Call on Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” (1 Cor.9:8) “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have a abundance for every good work.”
God can give you a word in any environment, if you listen for His voice of wisdom and guidance. (Eph. 3:20) “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Since being saved, it has amazed me how many lessons or words He has given me during all of my various workouts. He will take the things you enjoy doing, insert His word like He did during my bike ride, then give you revelation knowledge on how to apply that lesson in your life. All we have to do is trust Him. (1 John 4:4) …”because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (Prov.3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
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