Thursday, 30th October 2025
Alex Buabeng-Korsah
TOPIC: SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP
THEME SCRIPTURE: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.” — 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV)
PREPARATORY QUESTION
- When life seems to be treating the Christian unfairly, how is he supposed to respond?
When Farmer Jacob’s old donkey fell into an abandoned well, the situation seemed hopeless. With no hope of getting this donkey out, Farmer Jacob decided to bury the donkey alive and cover the old well finally. With neighbors' help, Farmer Jacob began to fill the well with sand. Yeah, dirt began to fall into the well, and onto the donkey's back— symbolizing every disappointment, betrayal, and hardship we face. Yet with each shovel of dirt, the donkey made a choice: shake it off and step up. What was meant to bury the donkey became the very springboard for its deliverance.
Life, too, will toss its share of dirt— loss, failure, and heartache. But what if, like the donkey, you refused to be buried by it?
What if every hardship became a platform to rise higher? God never wastes our suffering. In His hands, the dirt that covers you becomes the soil that grows you.
The apostle Paul, no stranger to affliction, wrote, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). The same pressure that tries to crush you is the pressure that forms the diamond within you.
Church father Tertullian once said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
What was meant to destroy the early believers became the foundation of their triumph. So it is with you— each hardship can become holy ground when faced with faith.
Trials are not signs of God’s absence; they are invitations to His deeper presence. The question is not whether dirt will fall on you— but whether you will shake it off and step up. Beloved, if you're going to triumph in the midst of trial and shake off every dirt while stepping up, you will need to remember these:
- Reframe adversity. See every problem as a potential stepping stone to growth. Ask, “What can I learn here?”
- Guard your heart. Refuse bitterness. Remember Joseph’s words: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”(Genesis 50:20).
- Take one faithful step. Even small acts of obedience—prayer, forgiveness, perseverance—raise you higher.
- Surround yourself with faith. Stay close to those who remind you of God’s promises, not your pain.
- Give thanks in the dirt. Gratitude transforms despair into strength.
Precious one, afflictions are the treasures of the Christian life. They are the nurse of virtue. Shake it off and step up in faith.
Remain blessed.
FURTHER READING: 2 Corinthians 4
Call to Salvation: Today is your day if you have not received salvation by turning over your life to Jesus Christ. Click here to do so.
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD
1. What “dirt” has life recently thrown on me, and how can I use it to step closer to God’s purpose?
2. Have I allowed any hardship to bury my faith instead of building it?
3. How can I cultivate resilience rooted in God’s Word, not in my emotions?
PRAYER
Lord, when life throws its dirt upon me, teach me to shake it off and step up in faith. Turn every burden into a blessing, every trial into training for triumph. I receive Your help to rise from despair to destiny, knowing You are shaping me through it all. My heart is staying stronger, my spirit grateful, and my eyes fixed on You. In Jesus' precious name. Amen
One-Year Bible Reading Plan.
Psalm 138; Jude 2; Job 7
Comments powered by CComment