I was working in my storage unit the other day. Cleaning it out and just getting rid of stuff that has been there for 5 years. I need that storage fee to go back into my pocket. Anyway, I was cleaning out boxes full of paper which meant I had to go through everything to be sure I was not getting rid of important papers. After going through two big boxes of paper, I decided I wanted to get to the clothes. Going through the clothes would be quick and easy since everything is going to Salvation Army or Goodwill anyway.

So, I spotted a section I wanted to work on, against the back wall. I could not reach those boxes because some clear boxes were blocking me, they were full of office stuff and nic nacs. I wanted to get past those boxes and get to what I wanted to work on. There was no room to move the other boxes. So I was upset but I moved on to another area of the storage unit.

You are wondering where I am going with this. Well, I was trying to reach ahead before dealing with what was right in front of me. When trying to deal with things to come without dealing with the present things, we perceive them as obstacles. I thought, Lord isn’t that the truth. The things in front of us need our immediate attention, and if dealt with properly they will provide a foundation for what is to come.

Obstacles are not all bad. Change is an obstacle for some people. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.” 

Our approach to obstacles determines if they remain obstacles or not. I wanted so much, to move the boxes that were blocking my path. I kept reaching toward the back wall but not making any headway. It is what it is…it was out of reach. My spirit said, work on that other area. As I reluctantly took my mind off of the blocked path and started working in the other area, guess what I found? Boxes of clothes, they were not in clear containers so there was no way I could know what was inside. As a matter of fact, there was no way of knowing what was in the boxes on the back wall either.  

God knows! We have but to listen. If we obey his directions, we are blessed. When we doubt God’s directions and try other ways, we eventually find out that we messed up and asking God for forgiveness is necessary to keep the channels of communications open. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 15:57.