ROADBLOCKS

This Christmas season, I find mmyself thanking God for the “roadblocks” in life. The definition of "Roadblock": 1. A barricade often with traps or mines for holding up an enemy at a point on a road covered by fire,2. A road barricade set up especially by law enforcement officers, 3. an obstruction in a road, 4. something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective.

 As I read prophecy and fulfillment of prophecy, God used Roadblocks to fulfill His plans. He used things that would seem to prevent the accomplishment of his objective, that could only be seen as His Sovereign guidance when we look back.  He used the ungodly, He used circumstances that seemed that He was absent and not present.  All things worked together for good. Rom 8:28  states that And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For example when scripture said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, a census was ordered.  When scripture stated, out of Egypt, Joseph had to flee to Egypt for protection of the Son of God.  

I find myself thinking about the Roadblocks in my life and realize while I fuss and balk that they exist, the same God who before the foundation of time had a plan to save mankind and saw that plan laid out and become a reality with the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, is the same God who before the foundation of time laid out a plan for my life. The Psalmist tells us that even before we were formed, God wrote our days.  Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.  I find myself thinking that if roadblocks did not exist, I would sit in my comfort zone and be content.  I would not seek, I would not grow, I would not be shaped or molded into the image God intended for me to be molded into.

This Christmas season, and all the seasons of life we walk through, let us not be so quick to get discouraged when the roadblocks, those obstructions that crop up, or those things that seem to prevent, seem larger than we can scale, but rather pray that God would help us to see His hand in the obstacles. Let us pray for wisdom and for the Holy Spirit to help us to discern when to fight because it is the enemy trying to detour us or  when the roadblock is placed to change us into Christ's image. Let us be alert to the possibility that God is trying to perform a work through us and may we have enough wisdom and discernment in those moments to surrender to His working hand.  May we learn to embrace those roadblocks as part of God's plan for our lives. 

BLESSED

What does it mean to be blessed? Most people have a lot of different ideas of what ‘blessed’ means to them. In November, we often watch those begin a daily journaling of things that are thankful for. According to Webster (and the way people describe the word) blessed means bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune. Blessed also means held in reverence; honored in worship. In the Word of God, the word blessed can be found over 300 times and in places it means to kneel in adoration and in other it means happiness.

I find myself walking through a season that has caused me to rethink what I would call “blessings.” I find myself looking into a mirror held up by the Holy Spirit of God and through circumstances beyond my control and seeing how self-centered I actually am. See, my idea of being blessed is “happiness, things going the way I want them.” However, I am learning that the deeper meaning of blessed is being able to kneel in reverence and worship no matter (as the Apostle Paul would say) if I am abased or if I abound. [Phil 4:11-13]. The apostle said that he learned to be content in whatever state that he was in. That my friend is where blessings lie I have discovered.

In this season where difficult choices are having to be made and road is a whole lot rockier that I would like to walk and settling for what I don't "wnat", I have discovered that the blessings are not “things.” It is not in coming and going and life being as it always was and assuming it will always be. I have discovered that the real blessings are in not getting what I deserve. The blessings are in being preserved from harm. The blessings are in coming into the throne room of God and being met by His presence. The blessings are in family and friends and church family sacrificing time and talent to come alongside and walk shoulder to shoulder helping when they have their own lives to see to. The blessings are in picking up the Word of God and having just the right Word or in encountering God’s presence just when you think you might not be able to take another step. The blessings of a folded up paper being put in your hand when you are in dire need, to discover the Lord has provided an answer to prayer. The blessings are in knowing that God cares more about your eternal nature than your earthly comfort. The blessings are in a child’s arms wrapped around your neck in sincere love. The blessings are in being able to reach out to another in Christ’s love.

I have been challenged. My challenge to myself and to you are put things where they belong. We are not entitled to anything except eternal damnation. Look beyond the surface. If everything you own was stripped away and you stood with Christ in your heart and that alone—then you are a very rich person, a very blessed person indeed.