Quotes about Obstacles

The problems of victory are more agreeable than the problems of defeat, but they are no less difficult.

Don't measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it.

God gets us through stuff. Through the Red Sea onto dry ground (Ex. 14:22), through the wilderness (Deut. 29:5), through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23:4), and through the deep sea (Ps. 77:19). Through is a favorite word of God's: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. (Isa. 43:2)1

In what circumstances do you struggle to trust God's purposes? Do you feel that God is fair in asking for a pure response like Paul's? Why or why not? What keeps you from fully believing that God is a good Father who cares for every detail of your life? Take the time to bring these obstacles before the Lord and pray, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).

Here is what I think: our biggest fears are sprained ankles to God. Here is what else I think: a lot of people live with unnecessary anxiety over temporary limps.

May God remind us daily—no matter what kind of obstacles we face—that we are loved and empowered by the One who brought the universe into existence with the mere sound of His voice. Nothing is impossible for Him.

Five obstacles block our access to the benefits God wants for us: Unbelief, which hinders knowing God Pride, which prevents us from glorifying God Idolatry, which keeps us from being satisfied with God Prayerlessness, which blocks our experience of God's peace Legalism, which stops our enjoyment of God's presence

We can't go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!" So they gave a negative report to the Israelites. Numbers 13:31—32

Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from My people's way. Isaiah 57:14

Like a magnetized needle floating on a surface of oil, Resistance will unfailingly point to true North - meaning that calling or action it most wants to stop us from doing. We can use this. We can use it as a compass. We can navigate by Resistance, letting it guide us to that calling or action that we must follow before all others.

Resistance is implacable, intractable, indefatigable.

We can never eliminate Resistance. It will never go away. But we can outsmart it, and we can enlist allies that are as powerful as it is. One thing we can never, never permit ourselves to do is to take Resistance lightly, to underestimate it or to fail to take it into account.