Following Hard

“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” (Psalm 63:8 KJV)

Once a week, I run with my coach. At the beginning of these runs, I am energetic and motivated, bounding forward, matching his pace. About two-thirds of the way, I start getting tired. My stride shortens, my shoulders slump, and my gait changes to a shuffle. I wish the coach would slow down for me, but he maintains the pace that he has set in advance. He knows it’s hard for me to follow, but he keeps moving forward. His goal is to make me stronger.

Similarly, I started my faith journey with passion and purpose. I stayed as close as I could as my Lord led me forward. Eventually, my energy waned, and the gap between us got wider. I became less enthusiastic and felt like doing my own thing. This is when I had to remind myself of a few core truths: God is trustworthy. He knows what is best. His intentions are always good. I can count on the Lord to uphold me as I follow hard behind Him.

“So faith bounds forward to its goal in God

And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;

Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard

Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.” (Frances Brook)