Daily devotional, April 30, 2024 Barriers
"When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Psalm 34:17-18
There was a time when pink barriers were installed all over EDSA. Some liked it because it prevented buses from unloading their passengers anywhere they like and disrupting traffic flow. Some on the other hand agree it was effective but it is a bit crude because it shows that bus drivers lacked discipline. While there are others who claim that the barriers are just a safety hazard.
In our walk of faith, we could encounter barriers too. These barriers are the inevitable challenges and difficulties we will be facing as we go through life. Unfortunately, some challenges are too hurtful or deep, that it tends to barricade our sight from seeing God’s work in our lives.
When we get too embroiled in our troubles, we tend to just focus on them and no longer see the hand of God working through our circumstances. We forget that He is faithful, and that He knows what we are going through.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16
When the Prophet Elijah was way too overwhelmed with his circumstances, he lamented his situation and just prayed to God that he would die. But God did not allow him to die. Instead the Lord fed Elijah, allowed him to rest, and gave him a new purpose.
"But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
1 Kings 19:4-5
In our faith journey, we can also be like the Prophet Elijah. We can have answered prayers, yet one adversity can suddenly strike us down with immense grief. When this happens, we become depressed and fail to see what is beyond our adversities. We become blinded by our problems that we cannot see God’s blessings waiting behind the problems that we face.
But if we focus on the Lord, fix our eyes on Him and trust that He will allow us to get through our circumstances, we can experience the deliverance that only our Heavenly Father can carry out for us.
"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles."
Psalm 34:17
So how do we remove our gaze from our problems and reset our focus on the Lord? We seek Him. We seek Him amid the troubles we are going through. We read, reflect, and meditate on His words, and allow it to nourish us. We look back into our lives and recall his past deliverance from all our troubles. We worship Him and thank Him for his faithfulness amid our frailties and failures. We surround ourselves with people who also seek Him.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near;let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on Him,and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:6-7
When we turn our sight towards the Lord, we get to eliminate the barriers that block our hearts from seeing what really matters. We get to push down the barricades of sin that keep us from pursuing the one true source of hope, strength, and love. When we focus on Jesus, we will be able to endure.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 1 Kings 19:4-8 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: What are the barriers that keep you from seeing God’s faithfulness in your life?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for always giving me hope. For offering your love to me amid my mistakes and weaknesses. Allow me to seek strength from your love, and help me to fix my eyes on you. Amen.
