“Shoes of iron are promised only to those who are to have rugged roads—and not to those whose path lies amid the flowers and soft meadows.
There is a comforting suggestion here, for all who find peculiar hardness in their life. Peculiar grace is pledged to them. God will provide for the ruggedness of their way. They will have a divine blessing which would not be theirs—but for the roughness and ruggedness.
The Hebrew parallelism gives the same promise, without figure, in the remaining words of the same verse: “As your days—so shall your strength be.”
Be sure, if your path is rougher than mine, you will get more divine help than I will.There is a most delicate connection between earth’s needs—and heaven’s grace.
Days of struggle get more grace than calm, quiet days. When night comes—stars shine out which never would have appeared, had not the sun gone down.
Sorrow draws comfort—which never would have come in joy. For the rough roads—there are iron shoes!”
J.R. Miller, Iron Shoes for Rough Roads