Through it we go

-
If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. (Frank A. Clark) 

The Lord is making roads through the sea. He is making a path for his people, even through rough waters. (Isaiah 43:16)

The obstacles one faces in life can sometimes be a little overwhelming - even to the point we want to find another path or just plain give up entirely. The good news is that the path God prepares may not be obstacle free, but it is prepared, provisioned, and protected. Prepared by the hand of God. Provisioned with his grace and strength. Protected by his mighty armies in high places, even when we cannot see his protection!

The path without obstacles is really not all that great! The obstacles are what brings out the character of God within our lives. Those obstacles actually show us how dependent we are upon ourselves to remove each and every one of them in our own power or strength. It is when we realize they are bigger or more numerous than we can 'deal with' on our own that we see our greatest need of God's presence and provision. 

A new year may present many new paths for us to consider, with some being much better for us to pursue than others. Remember, God isn't finished with our character development yet, so the path we take may just have a few choice obstacles that will uncover something deeply buried within us that needs to be brought to the surface. Rather than avoid the 'unwelcome obstacle', we might do well to ask God what the purpose of it actually is right now. It could be God is about to remove it but not before we get the entire 'value' out of it.

The Lord is making the road, and it goes 'through something', not just around it! We might just look for the ones that 'go around' those tough things, but he prepares the one that goes smack-dab through it! Even though the waters are higher than we want, the waves stronger than we can handle alone, and the current beckoning us to take a different path, he has prepared it, provisioned us, and will protect us THROUGH it. Just sayin!

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment if this message has spoken to your heart.

Popular posts from this blog

Sentimental gush

-
9-11  So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 MSG) Sentimental gush - that is what I kind of feel when I watch some of those sappy "and they lived happily after" love stories. Yes, I believe people can "be in love" and that "love will find a way" and all those other cliches about love. Don't think I am down on a solidly committed and growing relationship - it is just that our world often portrays love in ways that are totally gushy and then doesn't show the very 'hard' side of that loving being vital and vibrant...
Read more

At the right time

-
Greetings from Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent to help God’s chosen people have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. This faith and knowledge make us sure that we have eternal life. God promised that life to us before time began—and God does not lie. At the right time, God let the world know about that life. He did this through the telling of the Good News message, and he trusted me with that work. I told people that message because God our Savior commanded me to. (Titus 1:1-3) Sent to help God's chosen to have faith and understand the truth that produces a life of devotion to God. Maybe that mission is one we can carry on each day as we go about our business of 'living life together'. We may not have been called to form the New Testament churches like Paul was, but we have been called to help others grow in their faith and to come into a deeper understanding of God's truths. Why? God wants a people w...
Read more

Hmmm...seeing things differently now?

-
Create in me a clean heart, O God; restore within me a sense of being brand new. (Psalm 51:10) Einstein said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."  He was so true in this perception!  The problems we create will never be overcome or changed until we change the way we have been thinking about them!  To change our thought process we often need to change what we are focusing on so often or intensely. If we always see the problem, we will never see the solution standing just beyond it! If all we see is the river in front of us, raging out of control and making it hard to pass over to the other side, we will likely not see the bridge being lowered from the other side! Restoration is a process of not only being "clean" of the sin in our lives, but of being able to look beyond the sin.  We can ask for forgiveness when we have done something we are not happy we have done, but if all we keep thinking about is that thing we asked...
Read more