Nothing is impossible for our Heavenly Father. No obstacle confuses God or poses any kind of challenges for Him because we know He is Sovereign over every situation. We have trouble maintaining this perspective. Too often when difficulties arise, we experience a shift in focus. During trials, we tend to take our eyes off the Lord and instead see only our problems. The longer we look at our circumstances the larger it seems. As we dwell on it, in thought and conversation, our mindset can become very negative. Though God still has a direction for us to take, we are no longer concentrating on His purposes. In our troubles, we start taking inventory of our own strength and abilities. When these prove insufficient, we become discouraged. The truth is that we do not have what is needed for life's trials on our own (John 15:5). But God's capabilities are unlimited. His power is never ending, and His wisdom is complete. We need to take stock on God's resources not our own. For the obedient believer, impediments represent opportunities not problems. The Lord demonstrates His awesome power through our difficulties (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). At such times, we grow in our faith and learn more about God (our Father). If we view hardships simply as troubles, then we can miss demonstrations of God's love, power, and wisdom. Let us start each day committed to a Christ-centered focus, a dependence on God's resources, and with an "opportunity" mindset. — Matthew 17:14-21