All throughout life many challenges and obstacles will try us, tempt us and stand in the way, and sometimes the magnitude of the situation seems impossible and they require maximum effort for God to bring us through. We like to take the easy way out but true strength is found under pressure. It builds character and it makes us stronger.
Adversity has the effect in us to draw our strength from God. He gives us the courage and perseverance to develop the character of Himself. This is where wisdom and growth are found. Challenges provide opportunity to learn the will of God as He gets us out of our comfort zones. Pain and struggles grow our faith in God. They are divine invitations for personal growth and transformation.
Challenges and/or trials keep us humble and they keep us in the presence of God. We are in constant prayer before the Almighty waiting in expectancy for an answer, a solution and/or a miracle. Our faith is constantly tested therefore, with each test our faith is being built up as we trust God to do only what He alone can do. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 20-21) Man can give perhaps a temporary fix where God can do the extraordinary, miraculous, incredible, mind-blowing, powerful fix ….. and it’s done!! And yes, through it all we might have to cry sometimes, we may get a little frustrated or angry, but it’s all a part of the process: to get us closer to God. He wants to help us, to show us just how mighty and powerful He is. “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32: 27) NO!!
Sometimes we lose our way, we venture off the heavenly highway. We forget just how strong our God is. We forget about all the other times when He has come to our rescue and took us to a place of sweet rest and assurance. We even forget to call on the name of the Lord due to an evil force that has temporarily blinded us to the One Who is in complete control of everything. But once the coast is clear we emerge with a power, a trust and an unshakeable faith that God sees, He cares and He will give us the victory in due time. So we have nothing to fear and nothing to dread. We come out more than conquerors and we continue in praise and worship to the King.
Most challenges are difficult and they require great effort and determination. They can be internal or external, spiritual or carnal, but it will take passion, patience and persistence. A love and passion for Christ, the patience to wait on Him wherever, whenever He shows up and the persistence to keep asking Him without giving up. “And they came to Jericho: and as He (Jesus) went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto Him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” (Mark 10: 46-52)
Some of life’s challenges are bereavement, mental health issues, illness, discouragement, bad relationships, loneliness, work, traumatic events and financial issues. These can cause stress, frustration and helplessness but there is a God in Heaven. Overcoming them is a fundamental part of life. The biggest battles every single day is to stay focused on what we are called to do with no distractions. This is a fight of good and evil. Challenges wean us from earthly things and they reveal who and what we really love. What you love becomes your passion.
God is always in the “valley of hard times,” even if we don’t see it or feel it. Every battle you have to fight is an opportunity for the glory of God to be revealed. The greater the obstacle the greater the victory. “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.” (Acts 12: 5-17)
I recently had a situation that came up that I needed God to help me with. I fasted and prayed for 4 days. On the fourth day I got my answer from God through Pastor Steve. Right as I was in prayer Steve spoke the very words that I needed to hear. I was in shock and awe at the timing of God coming to the rescue right then, right there. I went away rejoicing with a renewed hope in my God. He saw me! He heard me! And He answered me right when I was praying. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65: 24)
Overcoming challenges increases self-confidence and motivation because you have successfully dealt with it. Persistence is the key. “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18: 1-8)
Giving up means that you will never overcome nor learn from the challenge. God never forgets us. He is always present. Your hidden heartaches are known to Him. Your tears are seen and your prayers are heard. He sees our every fall, our every sin, our every backsliding, yet nevertheless fixed His heart upon us. Although our sin will have to be addressed at some point. And the sooner the better.
The story of Jonah is a great read. It showcases his running from God, his disobedience, causing a problem for others, his punishment of being inside the belly of the fish for 3 days, his awareness of his disobedience, his prayers being heard way down in the bottom of the sea and God saving him so that he could do what the Lord commanded him to do. When you’re on assignment for God you don’t have time to stop and entertain every criticism, argument and every distraction. We depend on Him to help us to overcome every obstacle in our lives. We speak the word with power as we cover each situation in prayer. We lift up praises to the Lord in the face of impossible circumstances. Miracles are what God does and the impossible is where He begins.
We get to witness His power as we encounter situations that only He can bring us through. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (James 1: 2-3) We feel powerful enough to run through troops and scale walls and kick down doors to reach our blessing. We have a renewed spirit that is no longer in survival mode but a spirit that is rising from the ashes in revival mode. We feel like Joshua, Caleb and David. We can take on giants and any thing else that gets in the way, and with the help of the Lord, victory is attainable. “Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee.” (Jeremiah 32: 17)
King Solomon, in all of his God-given wisdom, was faced with an incredible task of judging two harlots that conceived two sons. The one woman laid on her child accidentally killing it and went to put the dead child in the place of the living child while the other woman was sleeping. As these two women stood before the King, the real Mother faced her most difficult trial as she hears the judgement of Solomon: “Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” (1 Kings 3: 23-28)
Justice prevailed in that most challenging situation. That poor Mother was willing to give up her son in order to gain her son back. Poor choices, wasted years and mistakes we’ve made, but God answers the mess in our lives with one word: GRACE!
And finally, Apostle Paul endured great trials and challenges but remained faithful in his calling as he taught, encouraged and strengthened the brethren. He taught publicly and from house to house repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. He went bound in the Spirit into Jerusalem not knowing what was going to happen. And although bonds and afflictions abided him, he still was able to say "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20: 24)
Then there was the snake bite. "And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god." (Acts 28: 3-6)
And then he breaks it all down simply by saying, "I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." (2 Corinthinians 11: 23-38)
Paul was truly more than a conqueror. He fought great fights of afflictions with visions and revelations of the Lord coupled with a thorn in the flesh to keep him humbled, he exclaimed "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
The best weapon for overcoming any challenge is prayer. I believe the promises of God, to venture an eternity on them. He comforts us when our hearts are broken. He gives us strength when we have no might. And He brings peace in the midst of every debilitating challenge, test or trial that interferes with our steadfast devotion to Him. Whether mountain highs or valley lows, we keep looking to the Lord because He has a plan.
Trust it! Live it! Enjoy it!
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