When the Road Seems Never-Ending

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to accompany my husband on a work trip to Utah. One evening, we decided to drive a mountain trail. We were amazed at streaks of red and orange snaking up the mountainside and the majestic peaks reaching into the sky. We were also struck by how many others were joining us on this dirt road!

The crowds thinned as we drove higher. And we had a choice to make: should we turn back and retrace our steps, or keep following the trail until the end? With no cell signal, we could barely make out the map we’d downloaded when we first started, but we could see that eventually the trail would meet up with another main road. So we decided to press on.

As the sun began to set and dusk settled in around us, we kept following the trail, slowly bumping over rocky sections and winding back and forth along switchbacks. We drove on for another hour, periodically looking at the map to try to determine when we would be back on the main road, but it was hard to tell. So we drove on. And on. And on. What started off as an adventure now felt like a journey that would never end.

When our SUV’s tires finally hit the pavement—three hours after we started!—my husband and I high-fived each other. We’d made it back to civilization! I’d always known the trail would eventually lead us back to the main road, but I hadn’t anticipated how long it would take to get there. 

The whole experience made me think about those seasons in life when the road ahead seems never-ending. As I look toward the future, the struggle stretches on and on. These seasons can be incredibly discouraging, even emotionally debilitating. Sometimes I just want to pull off the road, curl up in a ball, and stay there.

A Prayer for Deliverance

I know I’m not the only one who’s ever felt this way, and I’m thankful God has given us examples in His Word. In Psalm 13, David expressed the same frustration:

How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long will I store up anxious concerns within me,
agony in my mind every day?
How long will my enemy dominate me?

Consider me and answer, LORD my God.
Restore brightness to my eyes;
otherwise, I will sleep in death.
My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,”
and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your faithful love;
my heart will rejoice in your deliverance.
I will sing to the LORD
because he has treated me generously.

How long? David asks God that question four times. He wants to know how much longer he must endure his current trial. And though we don’t know for sure what that situation was, some Bible scholars believe David wrote this psalm when Saul was chasing him and trying to kill him.

I love David’s honesty. He doesn’t mince words as he lets God know about his pain. Though he sometimes felt forgotten by the Lord, he didn’t stop bringing his struggle before Him. David’s response offers us guidance as we traverse our own seemingly never-ending path.

He Didn’t Take Matters into His Own Hands

When the road ahead is unclear and we don’t understand where we’re going, it’s tempting to abandon it and make our own way instead. Surely it couldn’t be any worse! But Scripture repeatedly warns us against trusting our own wisdom rather than following God’s direction.

David knew God had chosen him to replace Saul as king of Israel. But he didn’t know how long it would be before that would happen. On at least two occasions while he was on the run, David could easily have killed Saul (1 Sam. 24; 26). Yet David chose to spare Saul’s life, refusing to harm “the LORD’s anointed” (26:23). While getting rid of his aggressor might have seemed like a shortcut to the throne, David chose to trust the Lord and His timing.

We may think that going a different way will bring us instant relief, but we can’t see the bigger picture—only the trail that’s right in front of us. When we try to forge our own path rather than trust God’s direction, we can create more problems . . . and more pain. Instead, we need to trust that the One who can see the entire road is leading us in the right direction.

He Was Honest with God

David didn’t hide his anguish from God. He asked hard questions. He admitted that he felt forgotten and that his anxious thoughts were causing him agony (Psalm 13:2). He didn’t pretend everything was fine or try to put a positive spin on his circumstances. He brought his pain to the Lord.

We can do the same. When we’re walking a seemingly never-ending path, we don’t have to pretend we’re not weary or discouraged. We can tell God exactly how we’re feeling and ask Him for help. The important thing is that we keep bringing our struggles to Him rather than turning away from Him.

David was honest with God about his feelings, but he didn’t let those feelings have the final word.

He Remembered God’s Faithfulness

David’s lament didn’t end with his questions. In verses 5–6, he declared, “But I have trusted in your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in your deliverance. I will sing to the LORD because he has treated me generously.” He remembered God’s faithful love and past deliverance, and he chose to praise Him for His goodness.

We don’t know whether David’s circumstances had changed by this point. What we do know is that he had reason to trust God, even while he waited for deliverance. He couldn’t see how or when God would act, but he knew the character of the God he was crying out to.

When we are on a never-ending path, it’s easy to become consumed by our circumstances. But we can remember the One who’s been with us every step of the way, who has sustained us and provided for us, and whose faithful love has never failed. That doesn’t mean our question of “How long?” will be answered—just as it wasn’t for David. But remembering how God has been with us in the past can help us trust Him in the present and take the unknown steps that lie ahead.

What If We Could See the End?

When I was on that mountain trail, I felt that if I could just know how long it would be before we reached the main road, I would feel better. It would ease my mind.

But would knowing when the end will come really make a difference? Would seeing the finish line help us trust God more with each step along the way?

Scripture does give us examples of people who knew how long their circumstances would last. Daniel understood from Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Israelites would be in exile for seventy years. Rather than passively waiting for that time to come, he turned to the Lord in prayer, fasting, and confession (Dan. 9:3–4).

God had also declared that Israel’s wilderness wandering would last forty years (Num. 14:33–34). Those years were a consequence of the people’s rebellion, yet their wandering would not thwart God’s purposes for His people. In both instances, the Lord had established a time frame, and the people believed Him and trusted in His promises.

We might not have a word from God about when our specific troubles will end, but we do have promises in His Word—promises we can hold on to when the way ahead is unclear. Promises like these:

• I will never leave you or abandon you. (Hebrews 13:5)
• “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.” (Isaiah 43:2).
• We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
• I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
• [Jesus] will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” (Revelation 21:4–5)

And so many more. As I started typing these from memory, Scripture upon Scripture came to mind. Reminders. Assurances. Things I can count on. A personal God I can trust to do what He said He would do.

While my mountain trail drive eventually came to an end, I’m currently walking through a difficulty with no end in sight. I’ve been walking this path for several years. Sometimes I can see lights down in the valley and think, We’re almost there. Sometimes the path gets wider and smoother, and I’m sure the finish line is just ahead—only to turn a corner and find that everything is rocky and hilly again.

But even as I cry out with David, I find reassurance that no matter how long this path may stretch on, no matter how many twists and turns I encounter, I can find the strength to keep going. Even if this path lasts for the rest of my life here on earth, I know where it leads. Because I belong to Jesus, this road will ultimately lead to an eternity with Him.