Obstacles

What do you do when you know there’s an obstacle ahead—and you have no idea how you’re going to get past it?

In this episode of Wilder Whispers, Shā reflects on the Mega Wall from American Ninja Warrior and the women who walked toward Jesus’ tomb carrying spices while asking, “Who will roll away the stone for us?” Their devotion didn’t depend on having an answer. They prepared what they could, kept walking toward Jesus, and discovered that God had already been at work in a way they never expected.

Scripture: Mark 15:40–41; Mark 16:1–4; Matthew 28:1–10

Listen closely:

Don’t mistake an opportunity for an obstacle.

Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers.

Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to slow down, lean in, and listen.

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Until next time--keep listening

This is Wilder Whispers. I'm Shā Wooden.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hey friend, welcome to Wilder Whispers, a space where we slow down and listen for God's voice in the ordinary moments of life. I'm Shay Wooden, and I'm so glad you're here. We often expect God to speak through big moments, a sermon, a breakthrough, a perfectly quiet prayer time, and he does, but so often he chooses quieter ways, in the middle of everyday life, in the unnoticed moments, in gentle whispers that invite us closer. Each episode, I'll share one simple story and the quiet truth God revealed through it, not because it was extraordinary, but because he was present. So wherever you are right now, take a breath, let's slow down, and listen together. We all face obstacles. Some are a little more than inconveniences. We may not like them, but we can usually figure out a way around them. And then there are the big ones, the ones that make us stop and wonder, how in the world am I going to get past this? Sometimes we don't even have to wait until we get there to know it's going to be a problem. We can see it coming. We know what's ahead, and we already know we don't have what it takes to handle it on our own. And I think that's where faith can get a little uncomfortable. Because what do you do when you believe God is leading you forward, but there's something standing in the way that you have no idea how to move? Do you wait until you have an answer? Do you turn around? Or do you keep moving toward Jesus even while you're still asking the question, who will roll away the stone for us? I enjoy watching American Ninja Warrior. If you've ever watched it, you know these athletes make some of the obstacles look almost effortless. They swing from things I couldn't hang on to for two seconds. They jump distances I wouldn't even attempt, and somehow they keep moving through obstacle after obstacle. But one of my favorite parts of the course is the megawall. The megawall is 18 feet high, and if a contestant finishes the course within the required time, they have an opportunity to attempt it. Make it to the top, and there's a $10,000 prize waiting for them. But getting up that wall is no small thing. I've watched some really good ninjas, seasoned competitors who have completed some of the hardest obstacles on the course run toward that wall and not make it. And yet, I can't remember seeing someone earn the opportunity and then just walk away without trying. That's what gets me. They know how high the wall is. They've watched other people try and fail. Some of them have probably failed at it themselves. And still, they back up, they get themselves ready, and they run toward it. And as I was thinking about that mega wall, the Holy Spirit whispered something to me. Don't mistake an opportunity for an obstacle. And that's exactly what I see when I read the story of the women who went to Jesus' tomb that Sunday morning. Before we get to the stone, I think it's important to understand why they were going in the first place. Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Siloam had followed Jesus while he was in Galilee and had ministered to him. They had walked with Jesus, they had served him. Mary Magdalene's life had been completely changed by him. They loved him, and even after his death that devotion didn't change. Luke tells us they prepared spices and fragrant oils, and Mark tells us that after the Sabbath they bought spices so they could go and anoint his body. Think about that. They were preparing to honor Jesus before they knew how they were going to get into the tomb. They knew the stone was there, but they bought the spices anyway. They prepared what was in their hands without having an answer for what wasn't. And I wonder how often we do the opposite. We become so focused on the part we can't do that we stop doing the part we can. These women couldn't move the stone, but they could prepare the spices, and they did. So the spices were prepared, the Sabbath was over, and early that morning the women headed toward the tomb. Mark tells us that as they were walking, they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? I don't want us to read more certainty into that moment than Scripture gives us. They had a real problem, and they knew it. In fact, Mark tells us the stone was very large. I love that detail because faith doesn't require us to pretend something is smaller than it really is. Sometimes the obstacle really is big. Sometimes it really is beyond us. We don't have to minimize the problem in order to maximize our God. But here's what I don't want us to miss. They were asking the question while they were walking. Their question was about the stone, but their reason for being there was Jesus. The stone could be very large and still not be the biggest reality in their story. Jesus was. They didn't know how they were going to get past what was ahead, yet they came anyway. And then we get to verse four. The women have been walking toward the tomb, talking about the stone, wondering who was going to move it. And Mark says in looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back. The very thing they had been talking about on the way was no longer standing in their way. The stone had already been moved. But I think we missed something if we stopped there, because God hadn't simply solved their problem. The women came to the tomb with spices, intending to anoint the body of Jesus. From their perspective, they needed the stone moved so they could do what they came to do. But God was doing something so much greater than making their plan possible. There was nobody to anoint. Jesus was alive, and I wonder how often we come to God already knowing what we think needs to happen. God, if you would just move this, or if you would just open that door, if you would just make this work. But sometimes, while we're asking God to make our plan possible, he's already at work doing something we never planned for. The women saw an obstacle. God was about to reveal an opportunity to witness something that would change everything. And this is what I find so beautiful about these women. Their devotion didn't cause the resurrection, their obedience didn't earn them a miracle. Jesus was risen whether they showed up that morning or not, but they still showed up. And because they did, they were there to witness what God had done. They came expecting to perform one final act of love for Jesus. Instead, they walked into the greatest news that had ever been announced. He is risen, he is not here. Think about how different that morning became from the one they had imagined. They left home carrying spices, they arrived in an empty tomb. And then Matthew tells us that as they ran to tell the disciples what had happened, Jesus met them. I love that. The women who had set out that morning hoping to honor Jesus in death suddenly found themselves at his feet, worshiping him alive. They went because they loved him. They went when they still had questions. They went when they couldn't see how everything was going to work out. And because they went, they were there. There to see the empty tomb, there to hear the announcement, there to encounter the risen Jesus. Sometimes we become so focused on whether God will remove the obstacle that we forget there may be something waiting for us in the journey that we can't see from where we are standing. The women couldn't have known what that morning would hold. They simply kept moving toward Jesus, and their faithful devotion brought them to the place where they encountered him. So let me ask you something. What's your stone? What is that thing in front of you right now that feels too big for you to move? And I'm not talking about some imaginary problem or a minor inconvenience. Mark said the stone was very large. Maybe yours is too. Maybe you know exactly what God has put in your heart to do, but there's one part you can't figure out, one obstacle you can't get around, one question you can't answer. And maybe you've been waiting. Waiting until you understand how it's all going to work. Waiting until the way is clear. Waiting until you know who's going to move the stone. But has what you can't do kept you from doing what you can? Have you stopped preparing because you don't know how the story ends? Have you stopped walking because you don't know what will happen when you get there? Have you made your obedience dependent on God showing you the whole plan first? And I have to remind myself of this too. I may not know how. I may not know when. I may not know what God is going to do, but my uncertainty about how doesn't have to change my confidence in who. Maybe the question today isn't how am I going to move this stone? Maybe the question is is Jesus worthy of my obedience even when I don't know the outcome? Those women didn't have all the answers when they started walking. They just knew who they were walking toward. Maybe you don't need the whole plan today. Maybe you just need to take the next step. Prepare the spices. Make the call. Start what he's put in your heart. Keep serving, keep giving, keep worshiping. Do what he's given you to do and trust him with what you can't do. Keep walking toward Jesus and leave the stone with God. And maybe you're listening and you're not sure you know this Jesus we've been talking about. Those women went to the tomb expecting to find Jesus dead. Instead, they found an empty tomb. He had risen. And that's at the heart of what Christians believe. Our hope isn't that following Jesus means we'll never face another obstacle or that he'll remove every difficult thing from our lives. Our hope is in Jesus Christ Himself. He died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again. And because he lives, he offers us something we could never accomplish for ourselves forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and new life in Him. The invitation of the empty tomb is still open. You can come to Jesus. You don't have to have everything figured out. You don't have to move the stone yourself. You simply have to come. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you never ask us to have everything figured out before we follow you. Give us courage to keep moving when we can't see the whole path ahead. Help us to recognize what you've placed in our hands to do and give us the wisdom to trust you with the things that are beyond us. Keep us faithful, Father. Teach us to obey without needing guarantees. Let our devotion to you be rooted in who you are, not in whether our circumstances turn out the way we hoped. And Father, open our eyes to see where you've already been at work. Sometimes we're so focused on the stone in front of us that we miss what you've already done. And for the person listening today who feels like they're standing in front of something that simply will not move, something too big, too difficult, too far beyond their ability, remind them that they don't have to carry the weight of figuring everything out. Give them courage for the next step. Help them keep walking toward you. And teach all of us to trust you with the stone. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Think back to that megawall. The ninja knows how high it is. They know others have tried and failed. But when the opportunity comes, they run toward it. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome knew there was a very large stone ahead of them. They didn't know who would move it, but they kept walking. And when they got there, they looked up. Today's whisper to carry with you is this: don't mistake an opportunity for an obstacle. Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers. I hope today's story reminded you that God is closer than we often realize and that he's still speaking, even in the ordinary moments of life. Whispers are the language of closeness. They invite us to lean in. As you go about your day, whether you're working, resting, driving, or just trying to catch your breath, stay attentive. God is not far away. He's not silent. He's near. And he's speaking. Until next time, keep listening. This is Wilder Whispers, and I'm Shay Wooden.