Celebrate Hope: Looking Back Stepping UpSample

Navigating Stumbling Blocks

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” - Matthew 16:23

It would require a monumental offense to call a friend “Satan.” There are other nicknames and insults Jesus could have used. Yet, Jesus turned to the disciple He loved and said, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23). This rebuke to Peter was numbingly harsh and startles us, but it’s instructive. As Jesus had to rebuke His misguided friend, we also have to rebuke the lingering thought, the negative influence, the overwhelming culture. We must navigate stumbling blocks, to rebuke their influential capacity in our lives. 

Jesus was teaching Peter about His ultimate destiny, His death, and the final judgment (Matthew 16:21–28). He embraced God’s plan and was heading toward Jerusalem. Every day, we are called to walk in His footsteps. We might not be headed towards Jerusalem, but there is a purpose, a destination that the Father has spoken over our lives. On our way, we will have to navigate stumbling blocks. It might be a good friend like Peter, someone who loves you and speaks with good intentions; but they haven’t heard the instructions God has given to you, so their advice might just be a distraction. 

The Savior offers us a timeless solution: to set our mind not on human concerns but on the concerns of God. Open your ears to the wonders of the Bible. Surrender your soul to the movement of His Spirit. He’s leading you somewhere, and nothing should make you stumble. —Elijah McDavid III

What stumbling blocks are you currently facing in your faith journey?

Lord, renew my mind so that I may not be concerned with the things of this world but filled with the thoughts of Your will.