You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ... Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. --2 Timothy 2:1, 3
A Soviet cosmonaut returned to Earth from outer space on December 29, 1987 after 326 days in orbit. He was surprisingly in good health which isn't always the case in these types of record-breaking expeditions.
Just five years earlier, two cosmonauts touched down after 211 days in space. Thereafter, they suffered from dizziness, high pulse rates, and heart palpitations. For over a week, they couldn't walk. And after 30 days, they will still undergoing physical therapy for atrophied muscles and weakened hearts.
At zero gravity in space, the body's muscles begin to deteriorate because there is no resistance as there is when gravity is present on Earth. To counteract this problem, the Soviets developed and prescribed a rigorous exercise program for the cosmonauts.
They invented "penguin suits"--running suits laced with elastic bands--that resist every move the cosmonauts make so that they have to exert more strength when exercising. This regimen, used today, helps those traveling in space to avoid the difficulties earlier cosmonauts faced.
As believers, we so often long for days without difficulty and hardships. But God knows better. The easier our life is, the weaker our spiritual fiber becomes. It is by exerting our strength through difficult times that we can grow and withstand whatever life throws our way.
So 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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the rigorous life exercises you face. Pray that He will use them to strengthen you for what's ahead.
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