Obstacles or Opportunities?

//Kenneth W. Hagin

Have you ever noticed when you’re walking down the street, if something catches your attention, you somehow find yourself drifting in that direction? Suddenly someone yells at you, “Hey, look where you’re going!” But the problem is, you’re going where you’re looking!

The same principle is true in every area of life. Whatever we’re looking at, that’s where we’re going. That will be our destination. This is why God wants us to focus on His Word and not our circumstances. We see an example of this in the lives of the children of Israel. God promised the generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt that He would give them a land flowing with milk and honey. When they got there, they saw how good the land was. But they also saw giants and fortified cities. The vast majority of them chose to focus on the obstacles. What they saw held them captive, and they stayed in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb believed God’s promise, and they eventually entered the Promised Land. (See Numbers 13:26–14:24.)

Think About: What obstacles are you facing? Do you see them as opportunities?

If the children of Israel had focused on God’s promise to give them the land, they could have entered in with Joshua and Caleb. God was giving them a great opportunity. But those Israelites looked at the obstacles instead of the opportunity. They focused on their circumstances and received nothing.

Every time an obstacle comes across our path, we need to say what my dad used to say—“This is just another opportunity to prove that God’s Word works!” Every obstacle is an opportunity. Looking at the obstacles in life that way will change our perspective. It will change how we feel and talk. It will change everything!

Joshua learned the secret of how to see things that nobody else could see. God told him to “meditate on [the Word] day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT).

Seeing things that no one else can see is what Paul was talking about when he said to look at the unseen realm (2 Cor. 4:18). When others are looking at the obstacles, we’re looking at the opportunities.

Joshua and Caleb saw themselves living in the Promised Land, and they eventually possessed the land. I’ve heard my dad say thousands of times, “See yourself with what you need. See yourself healed. See yourself without lack. See yourself blessed.” In other words, see yourself possessing what the Word of God says is yours.

Possessing the Promises God created us to rule and reign in life, not to be dominated and reigned over. Christ won the battle for us by defeating Satan. But we must “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12) to receive the victory God has for us. This fight involves three basic areas:	1. You must fight to BELIEVE something. // The devil will do everything he can to get you not to believe God’s Word. Fight for your beliefs by continually feeding upon that Word.
	2. You must fight to SAY something. // When the devil whispers something in your ear, refute those thoughts immediately by saying what the Word says.
	3. You must fight to DO something. // It’s important that you act as though the Word is true. God wants you to act like the victor He created you to be—not cast down or defeated.

 

When Joshua led the next generation of Israelites into the Promised Land to possess it, the circumstances and obstacles had not changed. There were still giants and fortified cities in the land. But this new group looked at God’s Word instead of the circumstances.

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, the first obstacle they faced was the great walled city of Jericho. God told Joshua, “ ‘I have given Jericho into your hand’ ” (Joshua 6:2 NKJV).

This generation of Israelites listened to God’s instructions and obeyed them. He told them to march around the city once every day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times, and seven priests were to blow the trumpets. When the people
heard the trumpets, they were to shout, and the walls of the city would fall down.

The Israelites focused on the unseen thing that God had told them would happen if they obeyed His instructions. When they obeyed, the walls of the city fell down flat. Then they went in and took possession of the city (Joshua 6:3–20)! They didn’t look at the large, walled city as an obstacle. They focused on the opportunity God had given them by looking at the unseen, and they went on to take the land.

When Caleb was 40 years old, Moses promised him all the land where he placed his foot. Forty-five years later Caleb said to Joshua, “Give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day” (Joshua 14:12 NKJV). The mountain he wanted had giants in it, but he didn’t focus on the giants. Instead, he looked at the
opportunity of having that beautiful mountain as his possession. He looked at the fruit that was growing there and thought about how nice it would be to build his house overlooking the plains where his other relatives were living.

All of those years in the wilderness, Caleb had meditated on having his mountain. Forty years of wandering with that group of unbelieving people did not change his way of thinking. He didn’t become discouraged; he kept looking at the promise. He saw the situation the way God saw it. And God gave Caleb his
mountain!