"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."
Habakkuk 3:19

"Wake up Julie, it is time to get up," my husband whispered to me one morning.  It was 5:00 a.m., and he was ready for me to get up and walk with him. 

"I can’t do it!  I just can’t get up this early and get moving.  I feel like I am going to be sick!" was my animated reply.

"Ok," he replied, with resignation in his voice, "I guess I will go and walk alone."

And walk alone he did that day, and the day after, and the day after that.  And after a few days, he stopped even trying to wake me up and just resigned to the fact that he would spend this time walking alone.

I don’t know about you, but I hate to wake up before six or seven o’clock in the morning.  It makes me feel sick and it makes me feel horrible for the rest of the day.

But you know what makes me feel even worse?  The fact that I won’t obey my husband in the things that he wants me to do.

Oh, I have no trouble serving him in ways that I find desirable.  The house is always kept neat and tidy, our meals are always timely and delicious, his shirts are always neatly pressed, and our private times are enjoyable.  But when it comes to doing those things that he wants me to do, that I don’t want to do . . . well, that is another story!

I wonder if this is your story too?  Do you only please your husband as far as it pleases you to do?  How do you respond when he asks you to do something that you don’t like to do?  Do you obey and serve him cheerfully?  Or are you like me and moan and complain until he drops the request altogether?

A few mornings after this, as I was driving home from taking Dave to work and our girls to school, I was feeling a bit discouraged.  I remember saying to the Lord, "Lord, I just don’t know what You have for me to do.  Here I am, my girls are back in school, my husband is at work, and I feel like I should be doing something.  But I don’t have peace with anything that I can think of to do."

Of course you don’t," was the Lord’s reply to my heart, "That is because you aren’t even doing the things that you are supposed to do.  And until you do, you will continue to feel confused and discouraged, like your life has no meaning and your days have no purpose."

"I couldn’t believe what He was saying.  "What don’t I do?"  I asked Him, thinking I was His most faithful servant.

"Well, you didn’t get up and walk with your husband like he wanted you to do.  You haven’t stopped eating all of those sweets like I want you to.  And you have been snappy with the kids when they have needed you too."

As soon as He finished, I felt defeated and started to cry.  "I can’t do it, Lord.  I can’t do all of those things that everyone wants me to do.  I can’t get up early, be nice all of the time, and keep my hands out of the cookie jar.  I can’t do it, I just can’t do it.  I know, because I have tried."

And right before I pulled into my driveway, I felt the Lord put His arm around me as He comforted me with the truths of Habakkuk 3:19.  "I am your strength," He seemed to say, "I am the One that will give you the energy to accomplish the things that you don’t think you can do.  Just call on me instead of depending upon yourself, and I will give you hinds’ feet for the high places that you need to go."

As I walked in the door, I felt encouraged.  I would begin today to trust Him with all of the demands of my days.  Today I could depend on Him to help me as I take care of my house.  Today I could depend on Him to help me to eat right and be nice to my kids.  And today I could begin asking Him to help me with that ‘high place’ that occurs every morning at 5:00 a.m., when my husband wants me to walk.

What about you, dear friend?  Do you need His strength to help you today?  Do you need Him to give you hinds’ feet for your high places?  Do you have little ones that get on your nerves and you need His strength to help you to be patient with them?  Do you have a husband that wants you to lose weight and you need His strength to help you exercise self-control?  Do you have a house that needs to be cleaned, children that need to be trained, and meals that need to be prepared?  Could you use a little heavenly boost as you do them?

If so, God is waiting to give you hinds’ feet for your high places.  All you need to do is ask Him for help and then believe that His strength is enough to help you.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

Philippians 4:13

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