"For the vision... will surely come..." - Habakkuk 2:3 KJV
Obstacles can't steal your dream without your permission.
Winston Churchill rallied blitzed, beleaguered Britain from the edge of defeat with these memorable words: 'Never give up! Never give up! Never, never, never, give up!'
Obstacles are inevitable; quitting is optional! When you walk in faith and refuse to quit, God guarantees your obstacles won't prevent your vision from being fulfilled. Though they were enslaved, Israel received the strength to overcome Egypt's efforts to break them. The story of their survival and success reads: 'the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew... ' (Exodus 1:12 NKJV). Paul's dream of evangelising the world met roadblocks at every turn. Tightening his grip he declared, 'We are hard-pressed on all sides, but... never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but... never... deserted: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!' (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Phps).
Joseph's journey to the throne was a long one. It led him through betrayal, persecution and loneliness. His dream, still alive and unsurrendered, was put on hold for years. Now Prime Minister of Egypt, vindicated in the critic's eyes, his dream at last realised, he recalls the amazing way in which God accomplished it. '"For" he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction"' (Genesis 41:52 NAS). Joseph refused to surrender his dream; it's what kept him alive. He looked for opportunities in his obstacles, and God made him fruitful, not by exempting him from affliction but by promoting him right there, 'in the land of my affliction'. Your obstacles can't stop God; don't let them stop you!
"The Word for Today", Bob Gass. Thursday,
December 31, 2009. New Zealand
