Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Have you ever played the child’s game Memory? Have you ever played it with both adults and kids? We went to a family dinner tonight and the adults pulled out the children’s game. Since I may not have the best memory, I was just going to wing it…until the kids decided to join in on the excitement. Game on!
The cards were all in nice neat rows and columns when someone (maybe my oldest with his uncle quietly cheering him on) happened to move the cards to fill in the empty spaces. That’s not how you play the game! Cheating was called, but the game continued. Someone (possibly my niece) happened to take a couple extra peaks, so someone else (perhaps my other niece) decided to mix them all up to make it fair again.
Good heavens! I was starting to get into a groove and figure everything out when the unexpected changed the whole thing. I had to relearn the order when I thought I had it under control. I have to tell you though, it never stopped being a blast. Our volume showed how much fun we had. It was quite the game!
It reminded me how common it is to be starting to understand this thing called life when the unexpected comes in and mixes everything up. It feels like you need to start back at square one.
When the boys were little, it was constantly like that. We would find that a sticker chart was keeping things running smoothly until all of a sudden it lost the potency and we’d have to figure something else out. That’s the way life is. It’s a journey.
Do you know what? We could’ve quit when all the cards were mixed up because that wasn’t how the game was supposed to be played, but that wasn’t even a thought. If we gave up, we wouldn’t have had the great memories and there wouldn’t have been a winner. Giving up guarantees that nobody will be a winner. Pressing forward guarantees that you don’t have to start back at the beginning.
When an obstacle comes in to throw you off course, just remember to focus on the end result. Look at the big picture and know that you are striving toward Jesus. He never moves because He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow…ok, forever!
Today, I yelled, “They’re the same!” when I got a match. The next time an obstacle is blocking you from achieving your goals, go around it and get back on course. Jesus is ahead showing you a different path and leading you on to victory. Feel free to yell, “He’s the same!” just to let the devil know who you’re following.
Make sure you refuse to quit and not be surprised be the obstacles the devil will put in your path. They might change the route, but don’t you dare quit the journey! Remember that when you quit, the devil wins (I hate that!) and he guarantees you lose. His goal is to keep you at the starting line. Orison Swett Marden said, “Most obstacles melt away when we make up our minds to boldly walk through them.” See, you may not even have to go around, you may be able to just walk through them!
I challenge you to be bold today and yell, “He’s the same!” and press forward.
