Do I really have to start from scratch?

"Wow, that was fantastic!" I had just played tennis with my brother and felt great! Just before that, I'd been lying on the couch, tired, and had hardly done anything athletic for weeks. I'd felt sluggish and out of shape.

I don't know how many times I've been through this cycle. I'll exercise consistently for a period of time and feel totally fit, and then I'll start to completely neglect working out. I'll think to myself, "Oh, it's so tedious to start all over again! All the muscles I'd gained are gone—I can't see anything from all that work."

It's true that we don't see anything yet at times like these, but I know from experience—and I'm sure you do, too, friend—that if we just start over again, we'll see results very soon! It is better to start from the beginning than to not start at all.

friend, I don't know what your story is or what you're needing to restart. Maybe it's fully trusting God again, overcoming your vice, loving yourself, or doing your job more conscientiously than before.

At first it may seem tedious to you, but believe me, the walls will come down for you, too, just like they did for Joshua in the Bible! Keep in mind that he and his men had to march around Jericho a full seven times until the walls finally fell! It's so important to note that the victory came at the very end, not at the beginning of the story. The Bible says, "So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land." (Joshua 6:27, NIV)  

friend, perhaps you believe in and love the Lord, but you feel like you're struggling alone right now. If this is you, allow me to encourage you—though you may not see the results today, stay faithful to the Lord. Make today the day you "restart" whatever you need to! And one day, you will see that He was indeed with you all along. :-)

You are a miracle!