Life's Wave of Opportunity

Life Is Meant to Be a Challenge

By Maria Fontaine 11/13

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”—Jeremiah 29:11

Adversity often has a way of catapulting us into situations and encounters with people that we would never have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. Sometimes the Lord opens doors through seemingly negative situations that would not have opened otherwise. If we stay attuned to the Lord and follow His plan, usually we eventually see the opportunities the Lord brought our way through the challenges.

Winston Churchill once said, “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.” He is also the author of this well-known saying: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Let’s embrace the challenges that difficulties and adversity bring our way! Let’s tell the Lord that we’re prepared for it; in fact, we want Him to bring it on if that’s what He needs to use to bring about opportunities for us to be fruitful for Him and to fulfill His will in our lives.

Let’s focus on the opportunities and the victories the Lord has prepared for us. The Lord said that the path of His children is as a shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day, so we can expect our way to be brilliantly lit with His light no matter what circumstances we face.

Jesus says:

Life is not just about the easy times, the times when things flow, and when you’re able to peacefully go about your business with little to hinder or slow you down. Life is also about the struggle—the challenges that cause you to develop your skills of perseverance, determination, and steadfastness. It’s about facing something seemingly insurmountable and trusting in My power to help you to overcome.

The high points of life are often when you’re at the very crest of a wave, riding it for all it’s worth. It’s daring to climb aboard and ride the wave, rather than staying on the beach to avoid the challenge. You’ll never rise above the challenges of life and learn to fly to new heights if you hunker down in the safety zones and try to find the path of least resistance.

Life for Me is meant to be a challenge. You are in a spiritual warfare that is the most important warfare that will ever be waged, for the most righteous cause, for results that are eternal—the salvation of mankind and the preparation of the earth for My kingdom come.

War is all about opposition—it’s two opposing armies facing each other down, each determined to be the victor and to carry the day. You have an advantage over traditional armies because your victory was prophesied from the beginning of time. Your success is guaranteed and set in heaven, if you fight through adversity, using the spiritual weapons of warfare, determined to carry the day in every battle you face.

Enjoy the ride and the feel of the wind blowing through your hair! Enjoy the opportunity to exercise your faith and to stand on My promises. The victory in challenging times is all about faith. It’s not about perfection or being mistake-free; it’s not about your performance. It’s about trusting in Me and having confidence that together we will weather every storm and come out on top. Your best bet is to stake everything you’ve got on Me, and you’ll come out a winner—that’s a 100-percent guarantee!

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”—2 Corinthians 9:85

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