Overcoming Obstacles

June 30, 2004

Personal Narrations

Joel Akin

Calgary, Alberta

The Dream-I found myself running alongside a river. On the other side was a swamp and I saw plant eating dinosaurs munching on trees. I appeared to be on a railroad track. The tracks were covered by a multitude of fallen trees. It seemed I spent most of my time jumping over and ducking under them. Finally I reached home and collapsed in exhaustion.

 1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

 I just love the way God shows me what is happening in my life through dreams. He always helps me decipher what appears to be filled with confusion and struggle. First is the river. I've been dreaming about the river for almost 20 years now. It signifies life's journey. At times the river is surrounded by badlands. In this case the journey is through a swamp. Though I am not facing any spiritual predators the swamp does signify confusion and uncertainty. Yet God is showing me that I'm on the the right track through this swamp. Yet even though I'm exactly where God wants me to be the path is filled with trees. In this case tree's are symbolic of wood which stands for temporal or temporary obstacles. In other words the challenges of this world.

 How many times have I been raised to believe that if I just had enough faith I would not need to deal with any obstacles. Yet the deeper I get with God the more I realize that I will always have hurdles to jump and earthly problems to fight. To be honest I want a clear path every step of the way. Isn't that what God promised in such and such a scripture? The only thing is I can't seem to remember where that particular scripture is found.

So how do we overcome and yet stay on the right track? Many years ago God showed me in a dream a time when I would reach a swamp. In the dream he provided Supernatural means to go around that swamp. This mornings dream was the second in two weeks that showed me dealing with a swamp and also overcoming it.

But how? Now I have talked some about prayer but I felt like it needed mentioning again because this is the key God gave me to open the eyes of my understanding. Prayer does change things and prayer will remove the bonds, overcome the locks, beat the predators, and keep us spiritually in tune with God. Prayer helps us deal with every battle, emotionally, spiritually, of the flesh or of the mind. It is the arrow that shoots straight in the night directly to its target. Not once but every time.

Isaiah 40:29-31 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 As I pray I wait upon the Lord. As I pray he increaseth strength. One of the things God revealed to me is as I pray and wait upon Him he begins to remove the spiritual burdens, the emotional burdens and the earthly burdens that hinder me. I don't always see what is happening in Gods world. At times it feels as if my body is so weak and tired. Yet as in this mornings dream God shows me overcoming, fighting, running. Basically on the move. Yet how can these things be when my physical self feels as if its perishing?

 It is here that is the key. We have grown so used to what Man can do and the power of his hands. How often has the present church bragged about its works? And there is even a demand for people to show their works. Yet to the one who has little to show or reveal such a one is often cast in the smallest light. They become one of the least of these. Such are those who are not dressed in fancy suits or dresses come Sunday. They are often the small, the forgotten, the weak or illiterate. Yet if there is one thing that pleases God above all things it is prayer. For it is by prayer that every obstacle known to man or the spirit world is overcome. And that is how we win this race and achieve the prize set before us. In no other way can we hope to run. For the battle is not to the swift nor is this war won with the strength of your arm. But in the power and might of prayer. For it is HE who gives us the strength to run and to overcome the obstacles set before us.