blocked

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Your View Of What’s Important Might Be Blocked

Last night from my deck, I looked at the sky and found the view a little lacking. The sky looked very interesting; it was just that there was too much blocking my view.

Your view of what's important might be blocked

I like living in the city where you’re close to everything you need and the things you enjoy doing. But the one thing that kind of sucks about city living is the view of the sunset.

We should have a great view of the sunsets each night. From our patio window or deck we just have to look a little to the left and we can see a fabulous array of red, orange and purple colours as they bounce off the clouds and contrast against the blue background.

It’s a pretty sight; there is just not enough of it. 

I guess that’s why some people build houses in the country and put them on the crest of a hill. From that vantage they get the full view of the sky as it interacts with the sun and the clouds. 

When we’re at the cottage walking on the beach at sundown, we get that full panoramic view with nothing obstructing the scene before us.

Not so much at home. I can see the sky but there are wires, poles, houses and trees that block the lower half of it from my view. When I take a picture of a sunset, I end up with a very thick transmission wire running right across the image. 

I could mount my GoPro somewhere to get around it, but I’d have to hoist it up a flag pole to get it above the wire.

I could send my drone up a hundred feet to get a better view but I’m not allowed. I live within a no-fly zone radius of an airport, so I can’t fly my drone off my back deck.

It would be nice to have an eraser that would just remove the wires and homes that are in the path of the sunset. It might upset the people who live in those homes to be rubbed out like they didn’t exist … not that my home was here first or that it’s built on higher ground … but it sure would improve my view. 

I realize that what I wish for is not something that I have any power to do. I’m just saying it would be nice, on a particularly absolutely gorgeous night, to have those homes and wires removed some way. 

I’ve seen software that can remove things from pictures so that you never knew they were ever truly in the shot.

I guess that is the best I can hope for. 

Here’s the thing: What might be blocking your view of seeing God in all His majesty and magnificence? It could be unforgiveness or a lack of gratitude. It might be sin in your life. Maybe you are preoccupied looking at something else. Whatever it might be that prevents you from seeing the glory of God, you have the ability to get it out of the way so that you can see God correctly. Let me encourage you to remove anything that blocks your view of seeing God for who He is.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What could be blocking your view of God? Leave your comments and questions below.

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When Something Important Is Kept From You

Have you ever thought that something had been kept from you? You know, when you were little and you caught bits and pieces of a conversation your parents were having?

RoadBlockage

You were dying to know what they were talking about, but you were not permitted to hear the details. They kept them from you.

Have you ever thought God might do that with us from time to time?

… Like when two disciples were walking with Jesus and they didn’t realize it was him until after he left them? The Bible says “then their minds were opened”.

A couple of days ago we came up to our cottage to spend a week. It was still April and this was the first time we were up since we closed the place in the fall.

On arrival everything looked in order. It was nice to see the digs had stood up to the winter and won!

We turned everything back on but when I went to turn on the furnace, because it was still April, and it is Sauble Beach, I got no heat.

The furnace came on; I could hear the roar of the blower. I heard the click of the igniter to fire up the furnace, but all that came out of the ducts was cool air.

I checked everything, the switch, the circuit breaker, the gas. It was all working but still no heat.

I worked for about two hours in the cold; I was chilled and frustrated. I couldn’t think of anything else I could do. It had to be a furnace problem; I would have to call a service guy.

But that would be in the morning, and we needed a way to keep warm that night! I borrowed a space heater from my brother’s cottage, and Lily and I went out for dinner, so that I could get warm.

And just to make sure we were going to be warm enough, we also bought a space heater of our own.

That night we were warm alright – almost too warm. In the middle of the night we had to shed some of the covers that we had piled on the bed.

The next morning when I woke up, I lay in bed and an idea popped into my brain. I think God put it there. I think I was kept from that thought the night before.

As I lay in bed, I remembered that we had put duct tape over the furnace exhaust vents in the fall. I realized there probably was a safety feature on the furnace that wouldn’t allow it to fire up if the vents were blocked.

I jumped out of bed, went outside, took off the tape, came back in and “budda boom, budda bing” the furnace worked like a charm.

I shared the tale with some people who told me that a guy had done the same thing years ago, and almost died of carbon monoxide poisoning! They got him out just in time. Wow! Thanks, God.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we’re blocked from getting what we need. God may have a reason for keeping things from us. Be aware that blockages are possible, and when you’re frustrated, seek God. Determine to obey Him and ask Him to reveal what the blockage is and how to remove it.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: When was the last time you felt frustrated and blocked from something you needed? Leave your comment below.

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How Blocked Shots Prevent Success

I went to a hockey game last night – it was an OHL game between the Kingston Frontenacs and the Owen Sound Attack.

New Jersey Devils v Philadelphia Flyers

You might think by their name that the team from Owen Sound was on the attack all night. But the opposite was true. Kingston had double the shots on goal and the play was decidedly in the Owen Sound end. It was like Kingston was on the attack for much of the night.

However, in the end Kingston lost in overtime. The Fronts outplayed the Attack and outshot them too, but they couldn’t outscore them … and in the end, that’s what counts.

The difference seemed to be all in the Owen Sound zone. They were on the defence for sure, but what they did on defence was pretty remarkable.

They blocked shots like a mother hen protecting her babies from the attack of a wolf. The Owen Sound players not only got their sticks in the way, but their legs and bodies too. I’m sure that Kingston might have had double the shots if it hadn’t have been for the Owen Sound defenders.

It must have been frustrating for our boys. They would come down and make a nice rush only to have a shot go off a player’s left shin pad and miss the net entirely.

I’ve preached sermons like that where I thought I had a great message. I was all excited about giving it. I had great illustrations, my points flowed together beautifully. But in the end, I felt like the congregation left with a shrug of their shoulders.

There was something missing, something that was preventing the message from getting through to the people and I didn’t know what it was.

It took me a few weeks, but I figured it out. There was something blocking the Holy Spirit from penetrating the hearts of the people in church. They were just getting my words, but no power that comes from the Holy Spirit.

My words weren’t making it through to the hearts of the congregation.

In the game last night, it was easy to tell that the Fronts needed to get more clean shots on the goalie. But that is something that will take some time to perfect. They will have to do drills and practice moving the puck around to get an open player a clean shot.

In the case of my sermon, it is just a matter of prayer, and continual prayer, for God to remove blockages and distractions so that the Holy Spirit’s power can work in hearts.

Here’s the thing: There may be times when you hear a sermon, or spend time with God and nothing seems to be getting through. It’s dull, routine, boring, and you may even be distracted.  That’s a good time to pray for God to remove Satan’s blockage so that the Holy Spirit can work in you.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: When have you felt that your good work has come up against a blockage? Leave your comments below.