Do you ever have one of those days when you just don’t want to come out of your shell, your home, or even your bed? And you say, “Please don’t make me get up”, or “I don’t want to face this challenge because its too hard.”

Our little shell of a self is a safe place, a comfortable space, and a known factor. We believe no one can infiltrate our world. Perhaps we feel as though we can only depend on ourselves. It is easier to hide within. We don’t have to deal with others and their stuff, or make any major decisions, or acknowledge what’s happening around us. We can sleep in, visit with our friends on social media, and not even leave our house to get groceries!

No matter how hard we how try to hide or run away from difficult circumstances, inevitably they will still be there, waiting.

You CAN face the day, and you CAN face those difficult things. Why? Because you are alive. You have a heartbeat. You are not alone. You are deeply deeply loved. You do have the strength to see it through. Just talk to the Lord Jesus about it! He will encourage you to come out of your shell.

Since you still have a heartbeat, you still have a purpose. So get up and get out there, face that giant, that obstacle that tends to get in your way, that exhausting struggle that weakens your resolve. Determine that your day is incomplete without your involvement and participation, because you have a purpose. You were made for a reason. Smile! Look up! The Son is still shining, and He gives you the strength to move forward, no matter the pace. One foot a time, one day at a time. Crawl, walk, run, then rest.

Psalm 32:7: “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with the shouts of deliverance.”

Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Food for thought:  There is no challenge or challenger you cannot face. What is yours today?

Funny fact: A turtle’s shell is actually part of their skeleton. Their shell grows with them. Other than portions of their legs, head and tail, turtles literally cannot come out of their shell.

Photo by: Kari Wiseman – Turtle in its Shell.