Thursday, August 26: Endurance

Today, I am guiding a group up Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. In the last 15 years, I have climbed that mountain over 20 times, in snow and ice, the heat of summer, darkness of night and brightness of day. We are taking the Mt. Whitney trail from the Whitney Portal, which is one of many routes to the summit. Though some of the trails involve more mountain climbing and scrambling, our route is the most gradual, the least direct and more of a long slog, eleven miles to the summit and eleven miles down again. Our climbing party has varying levels of experience, age and fitness, but we have decided to do this as a group by moving at the level of the slowest hiker. With the trek beginning at 3:30 a.m., we hope to be off the mountain by sunset, when we will rest our aching muscles in the hotel Jacuzzi. In our journey, we will be more like the tortoise than the hare in Aesop’s Fable, focusing on endurance, rather than speed.


One of the greatest requirements of the Christian walk is endurance. While many who come to the Lord hope for ease and prosperity in their new lives, that is not God’s promise. Instead, He promises that He never will leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus also promises that we will continue to suffer!


These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33


The walk of a Christian is similar to climbing a mountain. Each difficult step up that mountain carries us closer to the Lord, though we have no idea what it will look like when we get to the top. We do know that God will be there, and that is enough reason to climb! Additionally, we can look back and see the view of where we came from. When we look down the mountain, the journey doesn’t appear to be as steep or painful as it did when we were climbing that section, but we remember the journey. There are times when we might slip or even fall, yet God will pick us up, help us to dust the world off and get back on the journey again. One of the keys is not to quit, as nothing worth having is easy!

As Jesus reminded us, we all have mountains to face in our lives. He certainly did when He walked on this earth, and a servant is not greater than his Master. (John 15:20). If you feel like your mountain is insurmountable, know that God already has promised that anything He puts into your path you can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13), not alone, but with Him in control of your life. Are you walking with Him in your trials, or walking alone? He wants to help shoulder the burden, if you will only let Him!


13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14