Warren W. Wiersbe said it well when he shared: “People who walk by faith don’t see obstacles, they see opportunities.”1 The Christian life is a grand adventure that is constantly presenting us with obstacles to overcome by turning them into opportunities to use them to glorify God and bless others.
One of the greatest examples in all of Scripture of this principle can be found in the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a great warrior and the champion of the Philistines. He was literally a giant in physical stature and in the natural, David was no match to defeat him. However, rather than look at Goliath as an imposing and impossible foe (a great obstacle), David trusted in the Lord to give him the victory, I believe, because the Lord saw David’s faith and his desire to use this fight as a great opportunity to bring glory to God.
We read how David turned this great obstacle into an opportunity to glorify God in (1 Samuel 17:45-47): “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.’”
As Christians it is so important that we realize that if we are going to live by faith, then we can expect our faith to be tested by presenting us with obstacles to overcome through trusting Jesus and prayer. I believe that when we view these obstacles as opportunities to glorify God, that our heavenly Father takes delight in supplying us with the needed resources and strength to overcome whatever challenges we face in life.
So, the next time you face a difficult situation, trust God that he will use it to help grow your faith and give you the wonderful opportunity to glorify His name and bless others. Obstacles or opportunities – how will you view your next challenge in life? So, always remember that while fear looks at the obstacle, faith sees the opportunity!
1 TOP 25 QUOTES BY WARREN W. WIERSBE (of 89) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)