An author buddy had a problem. She sent her beloved manuscript to an agent, but rather than outlining a plan to bring her novel to the world, the agent confessed to being "stymied" about how to proceed. My friend's level of concern somewhat elevated---STYMIED?! A terrible obstacle is blocking the path to publication. What to do?! What to do?!

 

She didn't really react that way, but all of us have such moments of fear and confusion. We put our heart and soul into a project, then something stands in our way. Something large--no, HUGE--blocks us from reaching our goal. And that got me thinking about a different side to this "seeking God" stuff.

 

The Bible says we are to seek God, and if we do, we will find Him. But nowhere does it say this search is easy or that it ever ends. Instead God tells us to seek Him with all our heart and soul. That means, with great effort. And the words translated "seek" refer to a continuing nature.

 

The accounts of those in the Bible bear this out. From Abraham and Moses to Peter and Paul, seeking God was seldom an easy endeavor and lasted a lifetime. Ever wonder why? If God wants this so badly, why can seeking Him be so difficult, frustrating, and confusing? Answer: Obstacles.

 

I once lived in Augusta, GA, home of the greatest golf tournament in the world---The Masters. From birth, proper Augustonians understand they must take up the ancient game of golf and love it dearly. Given my ancestors were from the hallowed land of Scotland, the birthplace of golf, such is doubly true for those of us in Clan Graham.

In this most revered sport, there is on occasion an interesting occurrence. You approach the green and discover a ball lying directly between yours and the cup. Your path to the goal is blocked. In the time-honored parlance of golf, you are said to be stymied. But there is a solution. A hand reaches down from above and removes the obstacle. Your goal--the cup--is now in clear view and attainable.

The goal of seeking God is an ever-growing relationship with Him. Any relationship requires effort on both sides. When obstacles occur, we work through them. We also change, becoming more patient, observant, and forgiving. And we no longer see obstacles as "the world is ending" circumstances.

 

The same is true in our relationship with God. Obstacles come and go. But as we continually seek God, we change. We literally transform by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We see everything in a different light. And obstacles are no longer barriers that prevent us from reaching God, but avenues through which our relationship with Him grows even stronger.

 

Do you want an ever-growing relationship with God? Do you want to live in His love? Is something blocking your path? Seek Him in your circumstances. His hand will reach down from above and remove the obstacle. Then your goal will be in clear view...and attainable. How do I know this?

I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor the present, nor the future, nor any powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 

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