“Remove the obstacles out of the way.” Isaiah 57:14 NIV
“Fighting against God is not a battle you can win.”
My thoughts today are about “obstacles.”
Ever feel like someone or something is in your way? You know you could do so well, if only there was nothing hindering your progress. Occasionally there is a person who stands between you and where you need to go, limiting what you need to do – or at least you think that is the case at the time. You can blame them; you can resent them; you can try to remove them, but that will seldom work for you. people can “get in your way” and not even mean to do so.
It is even possible that God might “get in your way” in some instance. If and when that happens you can be sure that it is His love, preventing you from continuing on a path that would be not be for your best, harmful even ruinous. Ever try to fight against God? How is that working for you? That happened to Saul of Tarsus, until there was a showdown on the road to Damascus. Read Acts 9:1-20. Saul found out that he was in God’s way. His intention was to destroy this new and growing group of Christ’s followers. He meant well; he meant to preserve the Jewish faith in which he had been so excellently schooled. But he was wrong, sincere but very wrong. See Philippians 3:1-11 NLT.
God loves you too much to allow you to prosper on a path you should not pursue. He will try at every turn to persuade you to turn around and turn to Him, not away from Him. “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death . . what you think is the right road may lead to death.” Proverbs 14:12 NLT/16:25 TEV. God may use people and/or circumstances to make you reconsider your course. The Bible gives wise advice in such moments, “if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even find be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38-39 NKJV. Fighting against God is not a battle you can win; ask Jacob. Genesis 32:24-31 NIV.
However, let me suggest where you more likely may find most of the obstacles that make your progress more difficult – look in the mirror. Many times, the obstructions you must confront are wrong attitudes that you indulged along the way, maybe without recognizing them as such.
Negativity turns you in a wrong direction. “A pessimist looks at every opportunity and sees a problem; an optimist looks at any problem and sees an opportunity.” (President Harry Truman). Look around; people do not follow negative people; it’s clear they’re going nowhere.
Over-sensitivity leaves you beside the road alone. It is deadly to relationships to think that everything is about you. It’s not! Don’t be so thin skinned. Others are too busy to be always worrying about you.
Pride results in God’s opposition. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5-6 NIV/Proverbs 16:18 NIV. You want God on your side, helping you not opposing you. Can you see any habit or attitude that prevents you from being your best, and doing what you need to do? Deal with it quickly and honestly; you can turn any stumbling block into a stepping stone, if you will.
My prayer for you today is that you let nothing stand in the way of being your best.