i'm running to Your arms

People often refer to their Christian life as their walk with Jesus. Right now it doesn’t seem like I’m walking with Him at all. I’m running after Him, and He’s at the top of a massive hill. 

Lately I've been noticing something when I run, and I don't get it at all. While most people hate hills, I love them. It’s like the hill is challenging me and trying to slow me down, and I refuse to let that happen. But it’s more than me just wanting to reach the top without stopping. I start to run faster. Sometimes I’m practically sprinting. I may be exhausted by the end of a run, but I feel accomplished. It’s like I’ve proven my strength or something. Why am I willing to run hard to beat a hill, an inanimate object, but so unwilling to run up a hill to chase God, the creator of mountains?

Psalm 65:7

You are robed in power, you set up the mountains by your might.

This is difficult for me to understand, because isn’t He always supposed to be by your side? If anything shouldn’t He be carrying me up the hill? As I was thinking about this yesterday I remembered something I saw the other day at church. There was this guy holding his son, who was around one and just mastering the art of walking. The dad set him down in the front, and let the kid roam around even though he was on the edge of falling down the entire time. Then I started thinking about the process of learning to walk. First, your parent sets you down. They stop carrying you. Then they go across the room and call you to them. 

For a while Jesus was running next to me, motivating and encouraging me. For whatever reason that I don’t understand, He decided to run ahead of me and make me come after Him. The idea that I need to prove my desire to be with Him is new to me. It makes sense, but it’s just something that I’ve never thought of before. I still don’t really get it, but seek and you shall find, right?

Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the just run to it and are safe.