Problems. Dilemmas. Just because we don’t see a solution to a problem, doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Sometimes we just don’t know what to do. We don’t know where to start. Things seem hopeless. We don’t know what steps to take or what direction to start moving.
The story of King Jehoshaphat in the Bible gives some insight (2 Chronicles 20). The king of Judah received warning that a vast army of enemies was coming against them. King Jehoshaphat was alarmed. Some versions say he was terrified. He immediately responded by turning to the Lord for guidance. He called everyone in Judah to fast and seek the Lord’s help.
Jehoshaphat began to pray, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!” He acknowledged who God is. He continued his prayer acknowledging what God had done in the past and praised Him. Then he laid out the problem before God. He closed his prayer by saying, “We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chronicles 20:6-12NLT)
They moved forward praising God and trusting Him. The rest of the story describes how when they met their enemy, they praised and depended on God. They realized it wasn’t their battle, but God’s. God turned their enemies against each other and destroyed them.
It may not be a physical army that opposes us and causes consternation and fear, but we all face real enemies. Problems come at us that are beyond our power to control or overcome. It may be sickness, finances, a hostile environment, a fractured relationship, or any number of things we don’t know how to correct. The one assurance we have in any of it is that God is bigger.
God is bigger and more powerful than any problem we face. When we don’t know what to do, He does. Our first line of defense is always to seek Him. When we acknowledge His power and authority, and realize how dependent we are on Him for everything, we can trust Him to intervene on our behalf. He will either remove the problem, or provide the strength and wisdom for us to proceed through it.
When we don’t know what to do, we can trust God. When we pray for help, He acts. His response is often not what we expect, but His answer is always right.
Knowing who God is and trusting Him gives us peace, security and confidence, whatever problems confound us.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
How has God helped you when a situation felt hopeless? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
Copyright 2024 Phyllis L. Farringer
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Good post, Phyllis. Thanks for the reminders of who God is and how He cares for us.
Thank you, Joni, for reading.
So true! When we don’t know what to do, we can trust God. It’s not always what we expect, but it’s always right.
Thank you Kathie. It is comforting to know we don’t have to have all the answers, but we can have confidence in the One who knows everything.