Day 20 This Is Not the End Isaiah 53:3-12; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26

“Yet it was the LORD’S will to crush him and cause him to suffer… he will see his offspring…and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.” Isaiah 53:10

Without the hope of Christ and His promises, my family may have thrown in the towel, so to speak, on the difficult year we all recently experienced. The loss, heartache, and disappointments of life can become too much to bear.

We have a Savior who is no stranger to pain. He “was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (v. 3). Jesus was literally “crushed” for the sin of mankind and endured the most intense physical and spiritual pain on our behalf. When it looked like darkness had won, Jesus was victorious over sin and death!

We now live in the “already” and “not yet” of Christ’s ultimate victory. He defeated the enemy on the cross already, so we know the outcome. But His kingdom has yet to be fully completed in our sinful and rebellious world. Take heart that Christ is the ultimate conqueror over death. Our world—even as majestic as it is in its natural beauty— will be restored as God intended it to be. Suffering was not the end of Jesus’ story, and it’s not the end of yours either.

Insight: Praise God for Christ’s victory on the cross and ask Him to fill you with hope of all things being made new upon Christ’s return!

Day 21 In the Valley Romans 5:2-6; 2 Corinthians 3:18

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.” James 1:2-4

If you’ve ever hiked to the top of a mountain, you know the exhilaration of taking in the view at the summit. One of my favorites is the 14,400’ panorama from atop Mt. Elbert in Colorado. Something noticeable from this elevation is the timber line, the altitude point above which no trees can grow. As you descend from the peak where there is virtually no vegetation and look below into the valley, you see lush and beautiful growth. The physical conditions in the valley allow the trees to flourish and grow.

The Bible is clear that it is in the valleys of life—through trials and troubles—that spiritual growth takes place. Paul reminds us that “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). While we would gladly choose the mountaintop seasons of life, our intimacy with Christ deepens when we come through the valleys with Him.

God is working not only to give you Himself but to transform you to be like Him. He is using every difficulty and hardship with great purpose and love.

Insight: “The deepest things that I have learned in my own life have come from the deepest suffering.” (Elisabeth Elliot, Suffering is Never for Nothing, 2019)

Day 22 Run the Race Hebrews 12:1-3; Matthew 25:21

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

“This is a marathon, not a sprint” is often an encouragement to remind you that the task before you may take longer than you thought. When we lead groups on longer hikes, we encourage them to pace themselves and persevere to the end.

The Hebrews writer reminds us that in what we might call “the race of life,” we are not alone. We have a “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us whose faith spurs us on. Our organization’s experienced guides share wisdom and give encouragement to help every hiker make it to the finish. On longer hikes, we move with light day packs, carrying only what is necessary. Verse 1 tells us to throw off anything that may slow us down or be a hindrance to following Jesus. This can be any distraction that doesn’t point us to Christ.

Jesus accomplished His task on earth for the “joy that was set before him” (v. 2): you! We also look to Christ for our joy and for everlasting life with Him. At the end of our race, we will be overjoyed to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

Insight: Are you distracted in your spiritual race? Ask God to show you what may need to be removed so you can fix your eyes on Him.

Day 23 Know the Map; Keep Watch Romans 16:17; Acts 20:28-30

“The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3

Outdoor expeditions are the perfect setting for leadership development and personal growth because of the obstacles you undoubtedly will face. Your response to them will determine much about the rest of the journey. Whether it’s boulders in your path, rivers to cross, or emotional stress, you will come to a point of decision.

Paul admonishes the church at Ephesus to hold fast to sound doctrine and the truth of the gospel as there will be false teachings that attempt to trip them up. How can we guard against such things in our own lives and in our churches?

The only way to spot false teaching is if we know the real teaching! Study God’s Word for yourself. It’s as essential to life as maps are to hiking. Keep watch over yourself and those next to you. When we’re out on the trail, we continually “check in” with each other and then take action at the first sign of dehydration or discouragement in a teammate. Let’s be vigilant over the hearts of our brothers and sisters in the faith. We’re on this expedition together!

Insight: Are you regularly studying the Bible for yourself? Are you in community with others who value truth over trendy philosophy?

Day 24 Your Shelter Psalm 61; 2 Corinthians 5:21

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge…. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” Psalm 61:2-4

Some type of shelter is going to be one of your most basic needs while on a wilderness backpacking trip. You’ll be thankful for your sturdy camping tent through the nights. And no matter how small it is, you’ll be immensely grateful for it when a surprise thunderstorm rolls in or when you need a respite from pesky mosquitos.

Ultimately, God is our protecting shelter. If you have done any tent camping, you know that a little canvas structure will not defend against every element or danger. But God will! He is more than a tent around us. David says in Psalm 61 that He is the rock that is higher than we are. What is more solid than that? David also gives us the image of wings safely enveloping us. What could be more comforting? We may think that other relationships, places, or things will give us this kind of security, but they will surely disappoint.

The idea of being safe in a tent is a bit like being “in Christ.” While it doesn’t mean that we are literally inside Christ, we are united to Him, redeemed because of Jesus!

Insight: Are you “in Christ,” having believed in and trusted Him for salvation? Stay close to Him, your rock and your refuge.

Day 25 Bread of Life John 6:33-37

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35

I don’t know how long you’ve ever gone without food, but I know I can’t last much more than about twelve hours, especially if I am in the outdoors hiking and working up a hunger. Just as God has crafted His glory and beauty into creation all around us, He has done a similar phenomenon in the biological makeup of the human body. He has given us physical needs and limitations that prove our weakness and highlight our desperate need for God.

Even more than the basic necessity of nourishment from food, God has put a longing for Himself in each of us. That longing is much deeper than physical hunger (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We crave a reconciled relationship with the only One that can satisfy our need. We can say along with Jesus when He was tempted in the wilderness, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Jesus said that the Father gives true bread from heaven. Those who eat it will never be spiritually hungry again. Let Jesus Christ alone satisfy you today.

Insight: Lord, let me see the areas in my life where I have looked elsewhere for fulfillment. Be my bread of life along life’s journey. Amen

Day 26 Where Is Your Treasure? Matthew 24:35; Psalm 139:23-24

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20-21

Something I love about being in a remote location in nature for a few days is how it simplifies life. All the extra conveniences and added responsibilities aren’t there as you live at the most basic level. You realize many of your possessions aren’t as “necessary” as you thought.

Jesus urged His followers to live a life drastically different from the world. It would be a life where He is on the throne of our hearts, where the “things of this earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace” (Helen Lemmel, 1922). Our priorities are to center on eternal things. Ask yourself if you are investing your time, resources, and efforts into what will never pass away. We can order our lives so that our bank accounts, our weekly schedules, and our relationships reflect heavenly priorities.

There is an innate desire in human beings to make our lives “count” for a purpose greater than ourselves. How beautiful that God intentionally planted that in our souls. We will never regret giving precedence to treasuring Him.

Insight: Ask God to show you what priorities in your life don’t line up with His. Be willing to change as He reveals those things to you.

Day 27 Transformed and Refined Romans 12:1-2

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Some of my favorite outdoor memories are from sitting around warm campfires with friends, singing and laughing together. God was using those times to change me from the inside out. The element of fire always reminds me of transformation. It changes anything that comes into contact with it. What a perfect metaphor for the awesome, fearsome, beautiful, transforming, refining fire of the Lord’s presence with us.

God’s desire for you and me is to make us more like Himself. He will meet us where we are, but He will not leave us as we are. He won’t toss us into the fire of life to make ashes of us. But He may allow the fires that refine us like gold.

He is going to complete what He started in you for His glory and purposes. While this process may be slow and painful at times, your heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9).

Insight: Lord, my life belongs to You. Refine me as fire by Your Spirit. Use me as You see fit. Amen

Day 28 The Greatest Adventure Colossians 3:1-2

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Our culture is obsessed with the notion of “living life to the fullest” and getting the most out of every experience. At first glance, what’s not to like about that? The believer in Jesus ought to take a closer look at having life to the full, as we read of it in the book of John. All around us people attempt to achieve their “best life” with high-adrenaline experiences, world travel, communion with nature, and so on, completely apart from God.

Jesus offers something counter-cultural when He says He has “come so that they may have life and have it to the full.” When He commissioned His followers and told them how they would change the world, He wasn’t encouraging them to pursue their own prosperity and thrill-seeking. Abundant life begins with servanthood and salvation found only in Christ. It’s rooted in the eternal life offered to us when we repent from our sin and trust in Him.

Ultimately, we’ll find life to the full in the One who goes the distance with us even after all the other thrills and adventures have faded.

Insight: I know that walking in Your ways and following Your commands will bring true joy and peace. Give me Your perspective for my life. Amen

Day 29 Sure and Steady Foundation Matthew 7:24-27; Colossians 1:17

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

In Caprock Canyons, Texas, you will see broken and brittle sandstone as you walk along the trails. The vibrant pink and cream colors in the eroded rock formations will catch your eye. These rocks have undergone much change over time and are no longer the stable support they once were.

If there’s one thing we all know about life, it’s that it is constantly changing. So as believers in Jesus Christ, we take great comfort in the truth that our Savior is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We don’t know what lies ahead, but we do know our trustworthy, rock-solid Savior not going to shift or change. Jesus said that making His words the bedrock of our life is like a wise man who built his house on a sure foundation. When the storms of life usher in difficult seasons, we will stand unshaken, not because of our own strength but because Christ is holding us steady.

Have you made Jesus your foundation? Are you trusting Him on a daily basis even as everything around you seems to be eroding and crumbling?

Insight: Lord, You are the One who holds all things together, and I know You hold my life. Give me faith to trust Your Word. Amen.

Day 30 Bent Low Philippians 2:5-7

“(He) did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:7

Sometimes when I have been out on a dusty, dry trail, I think of Jesus and His disciples trekking from town to town (not in expensive hiking boots you or I might wear!) to teach and serve the people waiting for them.

Dusty and dirty. Very little sleep and always putting the needs of the crowd before their own. This is what it was like for the disciples to follow Jesus wherever He went. There was no special treatment or perks. Even though He was the King of Kings people were more likely to sneer and talk down to those that were associated with him.

Jesus called them, and you and me, to take the attitude and position of a servant. We ask our outdoor participants to model this to their expedition group as we are in the wilderness together. Jesus modeled it for us first. “For even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Amy Carmichael said that no matter how lowly or mundane a job may be “to offer it up to the Lord of glory transforms it into a holy task.” 

Insight: Father, give me the heart of a servant. Allow me to make every form of service an act of worship. Amen

Day 31 God Wastes Nothing Psalm 103

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

It’s amazing that the God of the universe has planned every circumstance in your life for your good and His glory. What you made a mess of He turned it into something beautiful. He has “redeemed your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion” (Psalm 103:4).

When you survey your life, it may be hard to believe that He is working all things together for your good. Losses, death, sickness, disappointments, broken relationships—it’s enough to make you wonder if God is even paying attention. Listen, dear friend: His steadfast love toward you hasn’t ceased. His mercies haven’t run out. His grace isn’t lacking. And praise God that, in Christ, He hasn’t dealt with us as we deserve, according to our sins (v. 10). That alone should cause us to delight in how lavishly He loves and cares for us.

Think of when wildfires sweep through wilderness areas. We see ashes and cinders, devastation and desolation. But in due time, the ground brings forth vegetation and new life. God wastes nothing and can redeem anything.

Insight: “I can’t remember a trial or a pain/ He did not recycle to bring me gain/ …He’s always been faithful to me.” (Sarah Groves, 2001)