“There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2 NIV)

As a teen, I was drawn to the picturesque beauty of nature and wanted to go on a nature walk. My first time fulfilling this dream turned out to be a lot less dreamy than I imagined. There were huge mosquitoes, wasps, dragonflies, and all sorts of creepy crawlers that left me with huge bug bites.

Along the nature walk, there was this dirty, shallow stream with small fish and toads in it. To get across, there were rocks of all sizes you could step onto to avoid getting your feet wet. One of my brothers noticed my hesitance to take the first step for fear of falling into the muddy water. “Just put your feet on the rock!” he said, as his voice echoed from halfway across the stream. “If you stay on the rocks, you won’t fall!”

With both arms outstretched to keep my balance, I stepped slowly and was surprised to find that my feet felt secure on the big rock with the flat surface. I stepped again and again, and before you know it, I was all the way across, and at no point did I fall.

This makes me think about the beauty of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:2. She had given birth to her son Samuel after years of barrenness and dedicated him to the Lord. As she prayed, she also worshiped God and called Him a Rock. She used a Hebrew word to describe Him, and one of the meanings is a rock with a flat surface.

Like my nature walk, Hannah’s journey through life was likely different from what she hoped and imagined as a young girl. Her name meant grace and favor, but she didn’t feel especially favored while stuck in a cycle of barrenness and depression. One day, things changed when she cried out to God the Rock, and He led her to the other side into a season of fertility and joy.

Maybe life isn’t ideal for you right now. You might be going through a really hard time, and the picture you had in your mind of how things would be doesn’t quite match the reality of your circumstances. Even so, I’ll share with you the wisdom my brother shared with me on my first nature walk: just keep your feet on the Rock. If you rest on God and His promises, you’ll be standing upon a sure foundation that will keep you secure and stable in unstable times. God is guaranteed to lead you safely to the other side of breakthrough.

No matter what it looks like, God your Rock is still the One Jude 1:24 speaks of, “who is able to keep you from falling.”

Now, let’s pray.

God, everything in my life is not perfect or just as I hoped it would be, and it gets hard sometimes. But when I feel overwhelmed, I pray the prayer of Psalm 61:2, that You would “lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” You, oh God, are that Rock, and I know that, as You did for Hannah, You will also show me Your grace and favor. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Get more inspiration from Dianna Hobbs weekdays, Monday through Friday, right here on Your Daily Cup of Inspiration. Be sure to catch up on encouragement that you missed, and if you need prayer, don’t hesitate to ask for it here. The ministry team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, to intercede. Until next time, stay encouraged.