How to Maintain Unwavering Faith Through Obstacles
How do you respond when facing obstacles where nothing proceeds as expected? Do you seek the Lord, relying on Him or forge ahead, devising new plans? Perhaps, a little of both at times. This described me while encountering numerous obstacles in relocating to another state. But friend, the difficulty of obstacles provides an opportunity to fully lean upon the Lord and demonstrate unwavering faith in Him.
Scripture advises in Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)” (KJV).
The Biblical definition of faith is “reliance, loyalty or complete trust in God”. We can place complete trust in God for He is faithful as Hebrews 10:23 assures us.
Not only is our God faithful to His Word, but He always works on our behalf. Psalm 145:13b proclaims “The LORD is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made” (NIV).
Friend, God is for you, not against you (Romans 8:31b). Because of these truths, we can hold onto God with unwavering faith no matter what we face.
Maintain Unwavering Faith
How then do we maintain such faith when facing obstacles? Let’s discover how through an illustration. Join me on a journey through a dense wooded area where the serene waters of a beautiful lake await us.
Eager for the adventure ahead, we readily step onto the rugged dirt path. But then we unexpectedly encounter an obstacle, perhaps a protruding tree root or fallen tree. We stumble, falling hard to the ground.
Undaunted, we rise to our feet and survey the area for an alternate path. Ah, we clearly spy another path due to the glimpses of radiant light appearing through the vast canopy of trees. Thankful, we gladly trudge on.
1. Seek the Lord for guidance
When encountering obstacles, you may stumble, not seeing how to navigate around them. But, friend, the Lord is with you. Seek Him for guidance and listen for His instruction. He will illuminate your pathway when it’s time to proceed. While you may not see the entire path, He reveals just enough for the next step. Acknowledge Him, thanking Him for such guidance.
But then…another obstacle and another and another. Drenched in sweat, we pause to rest. That’s when we notice the lush green plants around us and hear the joyous sounds of birds chirping. What astounding beauty by the Masterful Creator!
2. Be still and know He will work everything out
Encountering obstacle after obstacle may cause you to question, “why is this happening?” And “when will this end?” But remember, God’s ways are not like our ways. Be still and know that He is the omniscient and omnipotent One (Psalm 46:10). Cease striving to understand the why and when. Even though you may not understand, God knows. He will bring everything to completion in His timing. Plus, as you look to Him, He will reveal in tangible ways that He is with you.
Reenergized, we willingly press on despite the obstacles. Then our eyes perceive brilliant light up ahead which propels us to the very end, where calming waters of a picturesque lake await us.
3. Hold firmly to His Word
Scripture promises that “all things work together for the ultimate good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 CSB). Choose to trust, holding firmly to His Word, for He will strengthen and guide you to the end.
Friend, the above example of traversing through the woods illustrates how to face obstacles with unwavering faith. To complement this illustration, let’s delve into a couple of Scripture passages for further guidance.
4. Fix your gaze on Jesus
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1b-3 CSB)
Note the emphasis of running this marathon of life with ENDURANCE while FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS. Ever looking to the Lord prevents growing weary and losing heart to press on when continuously facing obstacles.
To fix our eyes on Jesus rather than the challenging circumstances, cry out to Him, anchor yourself in His Word, listen to worship music, contact friends for prayer, and recall the Lord’s faithfulness to you in the past.
With our gaze fixed on Jesus, let’s trust He will lead us through to the other side. What awaits is our destiny, His beautiful plan.
5. Be strong and courageous
Furthermore, Scripture urges us to “[b]e strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).
“‘Strength’ here means to ‘hold on firmly’. We must believe that God will do what He said He will do. Such faith is strong and courageous, not fearful and discouraged, because we’re relying on God, not ourselves.”
Dr. Bradley Baurain, associate professor and program head at Moody Bible Institute
Friend don’t allow the enemy to distract and discourage you. Instead, hold firmly to the character of God, refusing to dwell on anything that contradicts His character and His Word. He is faithful, always with you, watching over you, sustaining you, providing strength to persevere (Isaiah 41:10).
Hold onto the Lord with Unwavering Faith
From Scripture and the illustration of a journey through the woods, we learned how to maintain unwavering faith: seek the Lord, be still in His presence, hold firmly to His Word, fix your gaze on Jesus and stand strong and courageous.
Yes, all of this is easier said than done. But friend, as I held onto the Lord while encountering obstacle after obstacle, He proved Himself faithful over and over again. Even at my lowest point when my faith began to waver, He reached down and lifted me onto my feet. He will do the same for you. Keep trusting, for He will never fail you.
Just as Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail, He also prays for us (Luke 22:31-32, Romans 8:34b).
Father, thank You that You are always with us, holding onto us and never letting go. Help us to cling to You with unwavering faith. When we begin to focus on the challenges before us, remind us that You are there and that You know how everything will work out. Help us to trust you instead of leaning on our own understanding. We love you and desire to glorify You with our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friend, if you are facing obstacles, I would be honored to pray for you. Reach out to me below by commenting on this post.
Questions to Reflect on Unwavering Faith
- How do you respond when things don’t proceed as expected?
- Do you trust the Lord when you don’t understand what is happening? If not, why?
- What action steps can you take to walk by faith rather than by sight?
Additional Scripture for Meditation
- 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We live by faith, not by sight” (NIV).
- Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight” (NET).
- Isaiah 40:31, “but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint” (CSB).
- Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand” (CSB).
Related Posts on Unwavering Faith
- Read how Abraham responds to different situations in the following posts: Learning to Trust God (part 1) and Choosing to Trust God (part 2)
- Learn from the story of Joshua and Caleb why our focus is so vital
