Joshua 18:8
“And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.”
Opportunity may lie at your door, but you must open the door to realize the opportunity. Israel had the opportunity to possess the Promised Land, but they faced several obstacles before the opportunity became reality. You also have a Promised Land that God has for you, but what you do with the obstacles that stand in your way will determine whether or not you possess it. Let me show you some of the obstacles and give you some suggestions on how to deal with them.
First, every opportunity has an excuse as to why you should not pursue it. You will also have your giants, walls and iron chariots that will keep you from your opportunity, but you must never allow excuses to keep you from pursuing what God has for you. You will always find an excuse if you seek for one. You must become the type of Christian who never allows an excuse to hold you back. Excuses are the damper to the fire of opportunity. The Devil will provide you with excuses as long as you are willing to use them.
Second, every opportunity takes work for it to become reality. Israel had the whole Promised Land before them, but they had to conquer and build it. If you are waiting for an opportunity that requires no work to become a reality, you will never experience the blessings. Every opportunity that God has for you requires work. Why? Because God’s principle is that you must work before you enjoy the fruit. Your opportunity becomes that much better because you worked for it.
Third, every opportunity has dangers you must avoid. Inside the Promised Land there were idols and lifestyles that Israel needed to avoid and destroy. Always remember that once you start experiencing the blessings of opportunities, the dangers of that opportunity will start rearing their ugly head. Inside of opportunities are always opportunities to do wrong, but you must not allow them to keep you from God’s ultimate blessings for your life. Israel, at times, became complacent and those dangers pulled them away from God. The blessings of God will continue to open His doors of opportunities as long as you slam shut the doors of sin’s opportunities.
Fourth, every opportunity takes an initial step of faith before it becomes reality. Israel had to take the first step toward the Promised Land before they started seeing their dream become reality. Friend, it is going to take that first step of faith to see the doors of opportunity open. That first step will be scary, but you have the LORD on your side to help you every step of the way. Don’t let the fear of the first step hold you back from your opportunity.
Opportunity lies ahead for you. What are you going to do with that opportunity? God has something very special for you, but you must realize it won’t come without some obstacles. Don’t let those obstacles keep you from realizing your opportunity. Trust God and step out by faith. After the initial step of faith, you will find that the next steps won’t be as difficult.