Tag Archives: hopeless situations

August 2, 2023 · 5:43 AM

The Difference In A Day

My wife and I were just talking about the difference a day can make. I try to teach people the importance of doing a few things each day to help them attain their lifelong goals. The plan for that is that by doing them each day, in ten or twenty years you achieve something huge. However, God doesn’t need ten or twenty years to change your situation. He can do it in a day. When life gets hard or you need God to intervene, He can do in a day what would take you years. The Bible is full of these kinds of stories. Joseph went from being forgotten in prison to being second in command of Egypt in a day. David went from being homeless and running for his life to being king in a day.

In 2 Kings 6 and 7, Samaria was in a desperate situation. The king of Aram had besieged Samaria and their supplies had run out. People were resorting to cannibalism to survive. The king was mad at God and decided to take it out on Elisha. When he and his army officer arrived, he told Elisha that God had brought this misery on them. Then Elisha told them the next day flour and barely would be cheap. In verse 2 the officer said, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” (NLT). That night the Aramean army heard chariots, became afraid and ran away leaving all of their supplies behind. The prophets words came true. God opened the windows of heaven and supplied their need with more than enough.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Whatever your need is, no matter how great or how desperate, God can supply it in an instant. Don’t look at Him with a limited view the way this army officer did. God can step into the darkest night and light it up. He can move in the most hopeless situation and bring restoration. Elisha looked to God in a desperate situation as the solution and not the problem. How do you view God in impossible circumstances? Do you see Him as the cause or the answer? Have faith and trust Him to turn it around in a day while you do what’s necessary to move in the right direction. He has the entire universe available to give you in order to meet your need. He can do it in a day. Only have faith.

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

The Power Of Praise

When I was a child, I started to learn the power of praise and worship. My earliest recollection of it was hearing the story of King Saul who was tormented by an evil spirit. David would come in, play his harp singing songs of praise to God, and the spirit would leave the king. I remember then hearing the story of Paul and Silas in prison. They had been beaten and were in the deepest, darkest part of the dungeon. In the middle of the night, they began to sing praises to God. The prison shook, the chains fell off and they were free. Then I memorized Ephesians 5:19 where Paul emphasizes to believers that we need to be, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melodies in your heart to the Lord” (KJV).

I know when I’ve had major events in my life, I’ve turned on praise and worship music to help me get through. When I’m stressed out and under emotional pressure, I find a praise and worship station on Pandora. All of a sudden, the atmosphere around me begins to change. My mind shifts from my problems to my savior. There is a powerful thing that happens in those moments as I invite God’s presence into our situation. The thought chains that held my mind captive begin to fall off. The way I see and approach the problems changes as I shift my focus from them to the One who is greater than anything I face. I go from being the victim in the situation to the victor because I take up the weapon of the Word of God and began to fight the unseen battle.

Psalm 71:14 says, “No matter what, I’ll trust in you to help me. Nothing will stop me from praising you to magnify your glory!” (TPT). The writer knew that there will be things that happen to you to try to take your focus off of God. There will be lies spoken and heard internally that tell you God has abandoned you and forgotten you. However, he purposed in his heart that nothing (no lie, no circumstance, no situation or pressure) would keep him from praising God. When we focus our hearts on praise, our faith and trust in God rises. We quit listening to our circumstances and begin to speak into them with the Word of God. Don’t underestimate the power of praise in your life. God isn’t listening to see if you can carry a tune in a bucket, He’s listening to the intent in your heart. Don’t stop praising God no matter what is happening in your life because it will carry you through and break the chains trying to hold you down.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

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April 24, 2019 · 5:22 AM

Don’t Despair

Imagine you’re running for your life. Not only is someone out to kill you, but they have an entire army with them. They have eyes everywhere that are constantly giving up your location. You’re running out of places to hide, and they’re closing in. You see a cave and run into it. You go back into the dark, damp cave and crouch behind a rock. There’s only one way in and one way out. You can hear voices outside from the army as they approach. Your heart is beating so fast you can almost hear it. Just then, a person’s silhouette darkens the cave opening and they step into the cave. Your heart sinks. This is it. Game over. Hope is gone. Despair sets in as the move closer and closer to you. Inside, you’re crying out to God for help because He’s the only hope you have.

This is how David lived and must have felt when Saul walked into the very cave he was hiding in. It was a desperate, hopeless situation. Maybe that’s where you are today. You feel trapped with no way out. You can’t sleep. You’re mentally drained and exhausted. You’re tired of running and hope is gone. People may be wondering why you haven’t thrown in the towel and given up yet. Despair is knocking on your door telling you that there is no hope or anyone who can help you. I just want to say, as someone who has been there, that despair is a liar. When you have no hope, you still have a prayer and that is all you need because God hears even the faintest cry for help.

I’ve found that just because I can only see one way out, it doesn’t mean that’s the only way. God is able to make a way where there is no way. He is able to bring hope into the darkest cave. He is Jehovah Jireh your provider. He is Jehovah Rapha your healer. He is Jehovah Shalom your peace. He is Jehovah Nissi your victory. Psalm 27:14 says, “Trust in the Lord. Have faith, do not despair. Trust in the Lord” (GNT). No matter what is going on in your life, trust in the Lord. He sees you and knows the very number of hairs on your head. He has not forgotten you. He will not abandon you. He will strengthen you and walk through this with you as He did for David, myself and countless others.

Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash

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