Pressing Onward

I like to think that I am an optimistic person.  I can usually take a hit better than a Timex.  And yet, today has been one of those days.  It has been as if Satan decided to take a personal liking to my family, and he is doing everything in his power to try and discourage us.  I have felt the weight of this all day long, in various attacks he has unleashed on us.  I would LOVE to be able to say that I have ended the day triumphant and energized from the fight.

Alas, the opposite is true.  I still KNOW that God is protecting and watching us.  I am just mentally and physically exhausted from battling with my human nature today.  You know, the side that simply wanted to give in to the stress, grief, and despair of the day.  The side that wanted to just give up. The side that really tried to convince me to just lay it all down, throw my hands in the air, and give Satan the victory. 

While I am not energized at the end of this very long day, I do feel a victory for the other side.  At the end of the day, I did NOT give up and I did NOT give in.  SATAN DID NOT WIN!!!  I know there is greatness in that, and I can only give the glory to God for this win.  It is for sure that I wasn't able to do it on my own.

As is normally the case on the off chance I have a struggle one day, I turned to God's word to help give me what I need.  Today, I need encouragement.  I need to know that once the day is done, I can only look ahead to what God will provide for me next.  I can only trust that He will continue to lead and guide us and provide the hedge of protection around us.  I found that encouragement in Philippians 3:13-14:

I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.


I know that I must look beyond the events of today.  I will lean on God to provide the strength to learn from the challenges and to set a plan to deal with the hills and valleys still to be traversed.  I WILL find hope in all He provides.  I WILL press on toward the goal.  And I WILL strive to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.  I will step behind the hedge of protection that is found in Him.  


After all, today was 24 hours that I can either choose to learn from and move beyond and not let it impact the hours left that God will give me, or I can choose to allow this 24 hours to define me.  I choose to press onward.