Hi how are you today? I am well and have had a big week with work, family and unexpected things that have come up. How was your week?
This week I want to look at those times in our lives when the obstacle or obstacles in front of us look so big that we wonder how we are ever going to navigate them. We have explored in earlier blogs that trust in God is crucial for these times so I won’t be covering that again. But once we have established a deep trust in God- that He is good and that He is with us, what else can we do?
The two other foundational disciplines that we should have in our lives is reading the Word of God and talking or praying to God. These should be non-negotiable but I know we can all get busy. I encourage you to incorporate these in your daily life even if it’s just five minutes each. It will make a difference.
So let’s look at what an obstacle is? An obstacle in the Cambridge dictionary is something that blocks you so that movement, going forward, or action is prevented or made more difficult.
An obstacle in the Bible is often referred to as a mountain. In Mark 11: 22-25 (part of) in the Message Bible, it states:
22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or hemming and hawing—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large.
Jesus tells us in these verses that if we speak to the mountain or obstacle, it has to move. But what words move mountains? Words of faith or Bible words. Find a verse for your situation and speak to the mountain using that verse.
Will it happen straight away? Most likely not but be encouraged because the Word of God is a sword and every time that sword strikes the mountain a part of it is removed. The bigger the mountain; the more faith words it will take.
However, sometimes, in fact most times, faith words will not be the only weapon that you will need. Have a look at the top verse above. It tells us to embrace the God life and really embrace it. We also need to be operating in other things in our life. One is forgiveness. If you haven’t forgiven everybody of everything, your weapon won’t work.
Some of those other tools are found in Ephesians 6:13- 18 and in the Message Bible, it states:
13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensableweapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
So what weapons are in these verses:
- Truth- make sure you speak truth and don’t lie. The truth is Gods Word. Be careful of deceptive talk that is contrary to the Word of God. Even listening to it is not good.
- Righteousness- be in right standing with God. Repent of your sins and protect your relationship with God.
- Peace- don’t worry. I know this is so hard but a deep trust in God will remove worry.
- Faith- we have spoken of this above. Keep absolute trust in God, even with our words, when the circumstances around us dictate otherwise.
- Salvation- this is not only giving our lives to Jesus once but remaining as a child of God. Keep a healthy fear of God around your life.
So this week when obstacles arise or maybe they are even already there, re read this blog and make sure that your weapons are ready and poised. Those obstacles have to come down.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended.
Karen
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