Thursday, December 1, 2016

Challenges Are Stepping Stones

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The life of Joseph best illustrates the adage that challenges are stepping stones. Every obstacle and limitation became the very much needed stepping stones to his greatness. First, the jealousy displayed against him by his brothers did not deter him from dreaming more dreams, from obeying his father-Jacob when asked to take food to his brothers in the wilderness and working towards the actualization of his dreams.  Besides, the eventual sale of Joseph to the Midianite traders and eventually Potiphar did not stop Joseph from becoming who God purposed him to become. Not even prison in a foreign land stopped his global leadership goal. All of the obstacles led him closer to the goal in addition to giving him adequate preparation for global leadership.

For every challenge, God has a solution only if we remember to call on Him to solve the problem. This is because God usually has a prepared or should I say postpaid solutions. Take for instance the case of the four horns that had scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem unchallenged for a long time. I am quite sure that like you and I, the children of God wondered if God had any plans to deliver them from such evil powers with the evil intent of destruction. But God had His plan and timing to deliver His people from such affliction. Beloved, a scattered people cannot plant, harvest and gather or achieve any progress in life. Therefore their heads will always be bowed.  The devil or the enemy's intent was to prevent them from walking in the full plans and purposes of God for their lives so that they would not achieve anything. Unknown to the Israelites and the enemy, God was working out a great and total deliverance package. He had four carpenters prepared that would not only terrify the four horns but would also cast them out and end their evil reign and activities in the land of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem.

Beloved, God in His infinite mercy gave diverse principles and methodologies to problem solving in the Bible. That way, one is not bound to a specific methodology. The first time the Israelites cried out for potable water, the bark of a tree that Moses was instructed to cast into the water by God healed the water and made it drinkable. At another time, there was virtually no water. God instructed Moses to strike the rock. Water came gushing out. Yet another time, God instructed Moses to speak to the rock. Though Moses struck the rock because of his emotional state rather than speak to the rock, water still gushed out for the people to drink. Moses however suffered the consequences of acting contrary to God's instructions. In like manner, God daily gives us strategies from His word and through other means of speaking to us on how to handle challenges.

Primarily, it is best to start by waiting on God, studying, meditating, praying and prophesying His words relating to the situation that challenges us. In the midst of these, God releases the strategy or He drops the solution on you. However, the word of God meditated, prayed and prophesied is a tried and proven strategy for me. That is usually my start point for addressing challenges and God in His infinite mercy has never failed to respond to His word. You can do same and experience great successes as what you presently consider challenges will become stepping stones in Jesus mighty name. Shalom.



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