Facing Life’s Obstacles, Part 2

“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth. For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.” Deuteronomy 11:18-23

Joshua and the nation of Israel were preparing to enter the Promised Land. Moses would not go with them. His last responsibility as their leader would be to issue a charge concerning the land they were about to enter. He explained that if they would keep the commandments of the Law then God would drive out their enemies before them. Often we find ourselves wondering why God does not remove all the obstacle after He blesses us.

The excitement of a new job turns sour the moment we find out our boss has a dark side. The dream house becomes a nightmare when we find out the roof leaks and the water heater needs replacing. Many times God places obstacles in our lives to keep us humble and dependent on Him. The very name God gave the Promised Land, Canaan, means “a place of humility.” Israelites longed to enter the Land of Promise. Yet they realized along with the promise came the tests and trails of life.

There will be time when you feel as though you have run into a brick wall. The obstacle facing you may seem overwhelming, but take heart. These are the times when God wants you to true to Him and trust Him to remove the obstacle blocking your path.

“...the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you...” Deut. 11:23