Seeing Through the Obstructions

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.–Psalm 73:25-26 (NKJV)

I am in a season right now of being molded and spiritual growth. I am not saying this is a bad thing, but I really feel the Lord working on me in multiple areas. I woke up the other morning with a spiritual heaviness over me.  I just feel like there is a lot of “stuff” that is trying to block my view of Jesus. It feels as if I am in a jungle that is extremely thick with vegetation and that I must constantly pull back all of the obstructions to see the next step in front of me.  The cool part, though, is that I know God is right in front of me.  I have felt His presence over me the past couple weeks; and definitely feel Him speaking to me (and especially my character) in several key areas necessary for growth.  You see, as we grow in our walk with the Lord, spiritual maturity should be a natural part of our walk. Unfortunately many people miss this, but anyone who is constantly searching the Scriptures for answers to life’s curve balls will more than likely progress in a positive manner. 

Here are a few quick tips of how to remain in the Spirit and not get overwhelmed when we cannot see the next step.

1.     Remain submitted to God’s sovereignty no matter what

One thing we learn as believers is that when we attempt to take our matters and circumstances into our own hands, the results are usually mediocre at best. Yes we know that we walk by faith and not sight, just be sure that does not become cliché in your life.  In other words, do not bail on your faith when it gets down to crunch time concerning something. Even if the result does not align with what you had hoped or expected, God is probably working on something much greater for you. Robert Morris once said, “Big destinies require big character.”  Basically, the more you believe the Lord has in store for you, the more He will require from you. Our job is to keep walking and allow Him to guide our steps (Prov 16:9).

2.     Allow yourself to be teachable

This is something I have struggled with for many years. I am a very dominant person in the sense of I like to take the reins and lead whenever possible. I believe God gave me this quality for His purpose for my life; but just like any gift, if it is misused it can be very counterproductive.  I am a huge advocate for quiet time with the Lord. In my book A Father’s Walk: A Christian-Based Resource for Single Fathers I must have emphasized the importance of quiet time (Scripture reading, praying, and being “still”) at least a half dozen times. Why? Simple: God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (see Isaiah 55:9-11).  Once I began to quit talking so much and listen for the Lord’s voice, I began to grow tremendously. Trust me, it is still hard; but as I gain the knowledge of what it truly means to die to self daily, I become a bit more teachable with each passing day and my relationship with Jesus is blessed naturally. 

3.     Learn from previous mistakes

The words above pretty much sum up the rest of this blog. When we encounter common struggles such as finances, stress, and difficult people and keep drawing near to God along the way, we flourish.  In Psalm 73:28 the psalmist reminds us, “It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord…”  Above all, we must remember to never take our eyes off of the Cross.  Peter learned this in the example of him and Jesus out on the water.  It is only when we keep our eyes on God and look through our obstructions that we are able to overcome once and for all as opposed to a band aid solution. David knew this when he faced Goliath. He knew there was absolutely no way he could defeat the giant. Yet, he did not focus on his enemy…he saw past him and trusted God for the victory (1Sam 17:45-47).

 

So, to say that I am being stretched, tested, and taught right now is not an exaggeration.  In fact, I can see a lot of things God is putting me through currently to teach me the character growth that I so desperately need to lead others.  What road does He have you on at this moment? Are you cruising down the grace highway and all roads seem to be clear? I pray they are; but be on guard for those sudden roadblocks Satan loves to throw along the way. Or, perhaps you are like me and seem to be in a season of disarray or spiritual blindness.  Do not fret if this is so.  Just be sure that you are using this as an opportunity to grow instead of wandering around lost.  When we keep our hearts and minds set on God, then we are able to walk blindly- because He has us completely in His grip. 

I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them. –Isaiah 42:16 (NKJV)