opportunity
by mike wittmer
Posted under
anxiety/depression,
christian living,
conflict,
daily devotional,
difficult relationships,
discouragement,
doubt,
employer/employee,
faith,
fear,
God's love,
God's power,
God's provision,
physical needs,
trials (5 comments)
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John 11:1-44 Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe (John 11:14-15).
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Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 to see how Paul experienced God’s provision as he faced a problem.
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How can your present challenge be an opportunity? Keep a journal of the trial you’re enduring. Take careful notes so you have a record of how God sustained you through this dark period.
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A cave-in left 33 men trapped deep underground in a copper and gold mine in northern Chile. The men battled despair during the initial hours, when dust from the collapse choked their lungs and cloaked the mine in darkness. They barely hung on over the next 17 days as they prayed for someone to find them. And when they finally were pulled through a new shaft to daylight—69 days after their ordeal began—their triumph was all the sweeter for the depth of the challenge they had overcome.
No one goes looking for trouble. No one wants to be addicted to alcohol or drugs. No one enjoys being unemployed, with too little money to both pay the rent and feed the kids. No one asks God for over-bearing in-laws, back-stabbing friends, or disease.
But some of these will happen to most of us. When they do, we can choose to complain like Martha, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Or we can see that our obstacle is a thinly veiled opportunity. As Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:21-23).
Problems are necessary to display God’s power. If we never get sick, we won’t know that our God heals. If we’re never broke, we won’t know that our God provides. And if we never die, we won’t know that our God raises the dead.
What’s your problem? Have you been unfairly maligned or abused? You have the privilege of discovering the freedom of forgiveness. Are you battling addiction? You have the opportunity to experience the power of Christ. Out of money? You get to see just how much your heavenly Father loves you.
Your problem isn’t the end. If you’re with Jesus, it’s the beginning of a life- changing opportunity.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Kings 1:5-27
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Thanks for your post Sir Mike. My eyes and heart were really opened and got wisdom from it. Whenever we face difficulty in life, God will surely use that as an opportunity to seek,call and trust Him.
p.s. it’s my first time to have an account here and so blessed to have the opportunity to share it with you. Praise be to God and to our Lord JESUS CHRIST!
Welcome, Chacha! Please feel free to chime in any time. These problems that we face aren’t easy, but I guess that is the point. If they weren’t hard then we wouldn’t need Jesus.
Nicely put Mike, We always this kind of attitude, but thank you HE never complain,or say anything about it, but instead He would open His arms wide to accept us for what we had done. Thank you Mike for such a beautiful shorth message. God bless you.
Your message was so appropriate today. I am an older Christian and sometimes we forget that problems are “opportunities” for the Lord and “us”. We are so used to handling things on our own that we miss the chance for Him to show how He “uniquely” can remove obstacles and order our lives. It doesn’t always feel like an opportunity when you’re in the midst of it, but you can bet that the end will be worth the struggle. God bless your ministry.
thank you for your message.
it’s true that we often forget the necessity of trials as proving ground of God’s Power and Love.
yes, we must be reminded of Who is our Provider and Guide in life.
thank you and God Bless