After winning a bronze medal in   the 2004 Olympics in Athens, wrestler Rulon Gardner took off his shoes, placed them in the centre of the mat and walked away in tears. Through that symbolic act, Gardner announced his retirement from the sport that had defined his life for many years.

Times of walking away come to all of us, and they can be emotionally wrenching. A loved one ‘walks away’ in death. A child moves away from home. We leave a job or a community, and it feels as if we’ve left everything behind. Yet when we know the Lord, we never have to walk into an unknown future alone.

Allyson Felix, a 3 time gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, talks about how she copes with difficulty and loss. “The most important lesson that I have learned is to trust God in every circumstance . . . God is always in control and He will never leave us.” God Himself has promised this very truth. In the Bible He says, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9), and this is true for us today—God doesn’t walk away.

During our most difficult times, our stability comes from the presence and peace of God. He goes with us so we can walk into the future with confidence.

Author

David C. McCasland

Topics

Our Daily Bread