Daily Devotions
“I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.” Isaiah 49:11
Obstacles in the way everywhere – mountains of bills, family problems and challenges, pressures and demands at work, struggles with personal identity and purpose. We confidently start out toward our goals. An obstacle looms large in front of us. We fight our way over, around, or through it and continue on with less energy. Another obstacle appears. We scratch and claw our way through to the other side, this time with less enthusiasm. Plodding on, we reach a third obstacle and sit down, exhausted and discouraged. How can we keep on going?
Judah faced similar obstacles because of powerful surrounding nations and her own rebellion against God. She tried to face the obstacles all alone through alliances and military might. Ultimately, Judah and Jerusalem were destroyed and the nation herded into exile.
Isaiah writes to people like us, overwhelmed by obstacles and deeply conscious of sin and helplessness. But God reassures us by handling the obstacles and turning them into roads. He prepared the way by sending His own dear Son. Jesus walked straight toward His goal of a cross outside Jerusalem. Obstacles loomed ahead everywhere – crowds who sought to make Him king, disciples who failed to understand His purpose, enemies around every bend in the road, But He persisted. God turned the greatest obstacle of all, the cross, into the road to eternal life. In death Jesus brought life to the world through the forgiveness of sins.
The risen Christ goes before us as we face innumerable obstacles in life. Sometimes we circumvent them, and sometimes we plow through them. But always the forgiving Christ provides the way, the strength, and the support to move on toward the goal of eternal life.
PRAYER: Lord God, I trust in You to help me through the obstacles in my life. Thank You for supporting me and giving me strength to overcome. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988 CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)