Daily Devotional

Growing up I attended Hume Lake summer camp every year. There were lots of things I looked forward to when summer camp approached. I got to hang out with my friends for a week, play awesome recreation games, and attend two chapels a day with phenomenal worship and challenging speakers.

Another thing that I looked forward to, albeit with some trepidation, was the high ropes course. The high ropes course was a series of obstacles strung between the trees about 40 feet high in the air. There was a balance beam to walk across; a horizontal wire with sporadic vertical ropes, each further out of reach than the last; and even a platform that you could jump off and swing to the ground below. I always did the high ropes course, but I usually didn’t sleep too well the night before.

When I was 18, I got hired at another camp with an outdoor education program. This camp also had a high ropes course and for some reason they wanted me to be a high ropes instructor. I informed them that while I had been on a high ropes course, I didn’t think I had any business guiding others in how to do such a course. While not terrified of heights, I wasn’t the most comfortable up off the ground. They assured me that they would train me, and I’d learn to like being up in the trees.

True to their word, I went through a several week training on everything high ropes related. I learned how to setup and tear down all the different elements, how to check the ropes to make sure they were suitable and lacked any tears, how to check all the equipment to make sure it’s in proper working order, how to tie all sorts of different knots, how to belay others, and all the right protocols and systems put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.

After all this training, something happened, I was no longer concerned about going up on these high ropes obstacles. Once I learned about the strength of the ropes, the security of the knots, and the reason behind every piece of equipment, I learned to trust in it all. The knowledge I had gained allowed me to have confidence.

When it comes to our faith, things are no different. We don’t read our Bibles or pray so that nothing bad will ever happen. This is still a fallen world and bad things continue to happen. We do these spiritual exercises because the more we learn about our God, the more we will be able to trust Him. When we see His goodness and faithfulness in the past and learn to recognize it in our own lives as well, we will be able to trust in Him all the more with our future. Seasons of uncertainty come and there will be times when we’ll be tempted to lean on our own understanding, but instead we can and should rely on and trust in our heavenly Father. He is secure, steadfast, and loving. The more we learn about Him, the more reason we will find to trust in Him.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.