Jesus looked at them and said, “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Ponder It.

What’s your favorite challenge in a game?

What everyday challenges do you avoid when possible?

What everyday challenges are you most likely to embrace?

Receive It.

Sometimes obstacles stop us in our tracks. Other times, they’re a challenge. They invite us to participate. They might even seem fun. Like in miniature golf. There are definitely some fun miniature golf courses. I’ve seen a variety of themes from a pirate ship to animal safari. I’ve seen a series of waterfalls tinted green, as sparkly as emeralds. I’ve seen sports themes, bright colors, light and water features, and much more. Neon and glow-in-the-dark. And when the obstacle is appealing in some way—either by uniqueness, theme familiarity, skill needed, colors, and so on—it’s a fun challenge.

Of course, miniature golf is a game. It’s not real life, but we can certainly draw some similarities to real life. After all, sometimes we try to choose the obstacles we approach because of the appeal they have to us. Perhaps we’re familiar with them. We’ve accomplished them before, so we have confidence. Or maybe we’ve never approached it before, but that’s what we like about it. It’s new. If we don’t do well, we can chalk it up to lack of experience. Maybe we choose based on what our friends are doing or what people say we can do instead of what we know we’re being led to do. If we follow God’s will, some of the obstacles we experience will fit each of these descriptions, but many of them will catch us off guard. We’ll feel ill-equipped for many, but we learn through our experiences. We have to learn somehow. We can question why God places an obstacle in front of us because we don’t understand. But we can find joy even with the obstacles we don’t want or understand. We can know that regardless of our performance with each obstacle, we can choose to embrace the adventure and learn along the way. Whether it takes us a long time or a short time to get through each particular obstacle, when we come through on the other side, we can move into the next adventure with more experience, confidence, and trust in God.

Live It.

If you could create a miniature golf course, what would it include? Consider which type of obstacles you are more confident and less confident to approach. Then watch for related obstacles throughout the day. And embrace each and every one.

Today’s post is part of a 30-day devotional of Adventures in Faith. A new post will be available each morning to launch your day with reflection questions, God’s Word, and a personal challenge.