There are many ways to solve your problems, but how often have you made choices that didn’t work out the way you thought?
Probably more than you’d care to admit… just like me.
Sure, you could try to solve your problems on your own, leaning on your own understanding.
You could try to solve your problems with a team of advisers, but your advisers may not give you sound advice.
Imagine what it’s like when you choose poorly, and you feel regretful or frustrated like you missed God’s will for your life.
Argh! There’s got to be a better way!
… and that better way is what I’m going to share with you now, as you follow along.
There Are Two Types of Wisdom You Can Lean On to Solve Your Problems…
- The first, being: demonic, fleshly, and carnal.
- The second, being: Spiritual, pure, and full of good fruit.
The two types of wisdom are talked about in James chapter 3. Here are two examples out of the many references in the Bible…
When Joshua and the Hebrews were going up to the city of Ai and sought to take it over, they didn’t inquire of the Lord (read Joshua 7). The men that spied out the land just said to send a few thousand.
They relied on their own carnal mind, because they didn’t inquire of the Lord.
They relied on their own carnal mind, because they didn’t inquire of the Lord. After they lost the first battle, they inquired of the Lord, and God revealed that there was sin in the camp.
In another battle…
King Saul offered a sacrifice to the Lord in 1st Samuel 13, and he acted out of fear. In verse 12, he said he didn’t ask for the Lord’s help yet.
Samuel rebuked Saul, and told him that his (Saul’s) kingdom would end. Had he asked the Lord, or fully obeyed, his kingdom would’ve been established forever over Israel.
The price the Hebrews paid for choosing poorly was steep. Imagine how it felt that lives were lost, and the kingdom was ripped away from Saul, and given to another (David).
What Happens When We Lean On Our Own Understanding In Our Personal Lives…
This can have devastating effects. Imagine the heartache in these three scenarios if we:
- Give people money, that are really just poor stewards of their own money, and it ends up keeping them in bondage (enabling someone – read James 4:3).
- Go out and do a bunch of ministry, thinking we’re doing the “good thing to do”, but God may want us to do something else instead (read Acts 16:6).
- Are so busy in our daily lives, planning every detail, and be so caught up with what we’ve decided to do that we miss what God wanted to do (read James 4:13-15).
We’ll say, “I don’t have time to do XYZ. I need to do ABC right now.”
Did we inquire of the Lord?
Perhaps not.
What Jesus Told Me About Who I Was Leaning On…
In my own life, I’ve heard the Lord say to me, “You’re leaning on church leadership like a crutch. You need to lean on Me.”
The problem was, I was riding on the coat tails of the leadership, relying on their revelation alone, because I didn’t understand relationship with the Lord, nor did I know I could get His understanding.
After all, I wasn’t a pastor, a king, a prophet, Noah, Moses or someone with a lot of authority.
Why would God want to talk with me?
I’m not important enough for Him to talk to.
I soon learned that even I could inquire of the Lord, and get His understanding, grow to trust Him more and more, and see how He would clearly direct my path many times over.
What Israel Did To Win Battles…
The Philistines were after King David, because they found out that he had been anointed as king. King David went into a nearby stronghold, and the Philistines spread out across the valley of Rephaim (read 2 Samuel 5:17-25).
Then, David did the right thing…
He asked the Lord if he should go out to fight them, and would He hand them over to David.
The Lord answered David, and told him to go out and fight them, and that He would hand them over to them.
David won that fight, but there was a second fight to take place, and David did the right thing again… he asked the Lord what to do.
The Lord answered David, and said to not attack them straight on, but a different way. Imagine how David felt when he obeyed the Lord by following His plan, and he struck down the Philistines victoriously.
In another battle…
The armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites declared war on king Jehoshaphat. The truth is, Jehoshaphat was gripped with fear, and he was terrified when he heard the news about the armies.
Then, Jehoshaphat did the right thing…
He looked to the Lord for guidance. Not only did Jehoshaphat pray, he also reminded God of Who He is (i.e. declaring the nature of God), and he asked God for help.
Our good and faithful God answered Jehoshaphat through His servant Jahaziel. God, through Jahaziel, told them they wouldn’t even have to fight.
The army of Israel ended up walking up to the battlefield and seeing that the opposing armies had killed each other. King Jehoshaphat and his men spent 3 days collecting the spoils of a war that they didn’t even fight. (read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30)
In these battles, both king David and king Jehoshaphat leaned on the wisdom of God, rather than their own understanding, to win them.
They asked for direction, obeyed, and trusted God; and so can you!
How To Solve Your Problems More Easily By Discovering God’s Will…
The story of Brother Lawrence is one of my favorites, because in his early years, he planned out every detail (like I have)… and failed miserably.
He set his mind on the Lord as much as possible.
As he set his mind on the Lord as much as possible, he discovered that the Lord would give him a clear picture of where to go, who to talk to, and what to say. This gave him much joy to grow deeper and deeper into greater intimacy with the Lord.
Brother Lawrence discovered how to rely on the understanding from the Lord, and to acknowledge Him in all his ways.
When he slipped up, he knew it was because he had failed to pray, and failed to ask God for His help.
What Leaning On God’s Wisdom Is Like In The Business World …
I met pastor Jason, and he knows an owner of a business. Jason said that this owner relies heavily on God to help him make his business decisions.
The owner, and the owner’s staff, pray for 15 minutes during these intense times.
The owner often encounters scenarios that could either make or break his business. Jason told me that the owner, and the owner’s staff, pray for 15 minutes during these intense times.
After they receive the revelation from the Lord, the owner calls whoever needs to know the decision, and follows through with it. Truly, God has helped this owner many times, and has continually steered him in the right direction.
Two Examples of How I Solved My Problems With God’s Help…
I was living in a house with many bothers in the Lord. At this point, I had started to inquire of the Lord more often. I was about ready to leave for work, and I decided to stop and ask Holy Spirit a question.
Holy Spirit, am I forgetting anything?
I had my coat, backpack, and shoes on, with my keys ready. Then, I saw it…
I saw a picture in my mind of my bedroom door. It was open.
I have things that need to be locked behind a closed door. So, I took off my shoes, set down my backpack, and headed across the room and up the stairs.
Sure enough, my bedroom door was open, just like I saw it. I asked, and Holy Spirit reminded me to take care of the problem. He is Faithful, and cares even about the little things.
Some time later…
I was trying to get things ready for a school project. I’m pretty tech savvy, so I don’t mind going though the options in programs and changing the settings, but this one stumped me.
In fact, I trusted in my own ability to figure things out too much, and I ended up wasting a lot of time.
Then, in my frustration, I cried out to the Lord.
I don’t remember my exact wording, but it was something like…
God, this is taking way too long! This is terrible. I can’t figure this out. Would you please help me?
Then something happened that I wasn’t prepared for…
My arm and hand started moving on the mouse, and I clicked the mouse button a few times (which I thought I did by complete accident in my frustration).
As it turns out, my hand moved and clicked the mouse button on the settings in the program that I needed to in order to set it up for school.
It took me a few moments to realize what just happened, because I know I didn’t do that on purpose.
The Lord, an angel, or the Holy Spirit moved my hand in a way to answer my prayer, and change the settings.
He is so good to us! So amazingly good to us!
A Question I Think About…
“Am I trusting in, and leaning on a: book, system, formula, or a pastor, more than the Lord?”
This takes transparency and humility to go before the Lord, willing to be corrected, and asking Him to show me where I have missed the mark in my trust, understanding, and my ways.
When we trust in the Lord with all our heart, there’s no room left to trust in anything (or anyone) else. It’s with the heart we believe.
It’s the eyes of our heart that receive revelation. If our trust isn’t built on the Lord, but something else, the foundation will be shaken, and the house will be blown down by the storm, test, trial, or persecution that comes our way.
We have desires in our heart. If our desire for money, knowledge, fame (or anything else) supersedes our desire for the Lord, then we haven’t denied ourselves in that area. It can also mean that we don’t trust in the Lord in that area of our life.
We must not be like Israel, when the Lord basically pleaded with them to repent, and they didn’t (read Jeremiah 18:11-12).
Imagine what it would be like for you to get a clear picture from God of where to go, what to say, and what to do to solve your problems… would you like that?
Think about how that would change your life, and how fulfilled you’d feel.
This post was inspired by a devotional on the following scripture:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV