The path God leads us on is not always the one we would choose.
Hinds’ Feet on High Places reminds us that the journey
is never wasted.

“The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet
like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.”
Habakkuk 3:19

Hinds’ Feet on High Places is a well-known Christian allegorical novel written by Hannah Hurnard and first published in 1955.

It is a story about a young woman named Much-Afraid.

Much-Afraid lives in the Valley of Humiliation among relatives called the Fearings.
Her feet are crippled, her heart is timid, and everything about her circumstances suggests she will never rise above the valley where she lives.

Yet within her is a deep longing for something more.
She dreams of reaching the High Places, where the Shepherd has promised that those who follow Him will be changed.

Her journey begins when the Shepherd (a clear representation of Christ) calls her to follow Him to the High Places.
But the path is not what she expected.

Instead of an easy road, the way climbs steeply.

Instead of pleasant companions, the Shepherd appoints two unlikely guides to walk with her:
Sorrow and Suffering.

Together they travel through lonely places and difficult terrain.
These companions initially frighten her, but they ultimately help transform her character and deepen her trust in the Shepherd.

There are moments when Much-Afraid questions whether she can even continue on the journey.  
Yet the Shepherd never abandons her, and step by step the journey transforms her heart.

At the end of the climb, the promise is fulfilled.
Her crippled feet are made into hinds’ feet—strong, steady, and able to stand in the High Places.

This story resonates because it mirrors our own walk with Christ.
The road He leads us on is not always easy.

There are seasons of sorrow and suffering,
and stretches when the climb feels long and lonely.
Yet none of these are wasted in the Shepherd’s tender care.

Each step is preparing us for something greater than we can see.
We need only to trust the Shepherd in the journey.

Today, lift your eyes toward the High Places.
Fix your gaze on the Shepherd who calls you upward.

Refuse to turn back when the road becomes steep.
The journey may be long, but it is leading somewhere more magnificent than we can imagine.

One day, every hindrance will fall away. Every weakness will be gone. And we will stand where fear cannot follow
—walking freely with the Shepherd in the heights.

Keep your eyes on Him.
And keep climbing.

If you have never read Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard, it is a beautiful allegory of the Christian journey and well worth reading. It has encouraged many believers over the years,

including me.

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