Stepping stones to growth

With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. (Psalm 18:29, NIV)

 You have encountered both high mountains and deep valleys throughout your life of faith. You have at times found yourself in what seemed like a deep pit and have had to climb out and start over. At times you have wondered why you have to face the low points and the times when you fail or fall. The falls can be painful, and it requires effort to crawl out of the low places and to once again continue on your journey…
 I promise you this: If you call out to Me, I will answer, and I will never leave or forsake you. I am with you in the low points and in the high points of your life journey! There is no time or part of your life that I will not be with you.
 So do not look at setbacks, tests, or difficulties as defeats; look at them as stepping stones to growth and progress. If you didn’t have some of these challenges and trials, you would be tempted to become complacent, and to not strive to move forward. You wouldn’t work so hard to solve the problems and desperately seek Me for the solutions.
 Don’t be fearful or worried, but rather be challenged, and know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am with you, and that as you seek Me, I will help you to move forward into a cycle of progress and victory. —Jesus [1]

 The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse. —Helen Keller

[1] Activated The Mountains and the Valleys