WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM?

 

Problems are part of life as we know it. There are different kinds of problems; they come in different forms, including poor health, financial challenges, family disagreements, professional difficulties, and the like. Our response to problems is to find solutions or resolutions before they get out of control.

The Bible admonishes us to call on God in our times of need; this step should be the first thing we do, even when we think there is a more concrete solution. For instance, when we’re sick, we should call the doctor, but since we have no control over how things are going to turn out, we should still seek God first.

Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, was apprehensive when he was about to meet his brother, Esau, whom he hadn’t seen in over twenty years. Jacob had stolen Esau’s birthright and blessings years before and fled to their uncle Laban for safety (Esau was planning to kill him in revenge). But, after living with Laban for twenty years, God asked him to go back home. So, he got his family together and set out to return to Canaan (see Genesis 31:17).  

In his fear and distress, Jacob thought out a strategy; he sent servants and presents for Esau ahead of his family to appease his brother, and then he prayed! He claimed God’s promise of protection: “O LORD, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’ … O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau” (Genesis 32:9-11). Jacob not only petitioned God, but he also praised Him, confessed his unworthiness, and acknowledged God’s goodness to him up until then.  

Do you have a problem? Are you worried about something? Then do what Jacob did; he petitioned God. Remind yourself of God’s goodness in the past to encourage you that He’s able to take care of your current issue as well. Is there a promise you can claim, like, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5)? Then claim it, and allow it to reassure and comfort you. God is faithful; He never goes back on His Word, so claim promises with confidence. But also make sure there are no unconfessed sins that you know of. 

Whatever your problems, turn them over to God; He is waiting for His children to call and express their dependence on Him. Even if your problems are the results of disobedience, remember that God is known to have changed His plan every now and then. For instance, while in the wilderness, the Israelites made themselves an idol (golden calf) to lead them, because they were unsure what had happened to Moses (he was on the Mountain with God). God had warned them many times before not to worship idols. Their behavior was inexcusable. God was so angry, He threatened to destroy them (see Exodus 32:9-10).

Moses sought the Lord in prayer, citing reason after reason why He shouldn’t destroy His own people: “Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! ... So the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people” (Exodus 32:12, 14).

God could have destroyed them, but Moses made some pretty good arguments, naming the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Either way, God listened to Moses and changed His plan. So, bring your concerns to God and trust Him to intervene for His glory.

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU RESPOND TO OTHER PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOR!

 

We are responding creatures. In other words, it is human nature to feel and express how we think, one way or another, in response to people’s behavior or action. Depending on what they do, we might express happiness, frustration, anger, gratitude, annoyance, or other emotions. The emotion we choose to communicate could be appreciated, resented, reciprocated, or costly.

With that said, Moses is an excellent example of a costly emotional expression. At one point, his anger and frustration cost him what he had looked forward to for years.

God charged Moses to lead the Israelites from Egypt into the Promised Land. It was not an easy task; the people proved to be faithless, disobedient, ungrateful, and uncooperative. Moses found himself constantly encouraging or rebuking them about their fear or disobedience. He found it necessary to intercede for them on many other occasions to stop God from punishing or destroying them.

On one particular day late in their journey to the Promised Land, Moses lost his temper; he had had enough of the Israelites’ complaints, ingratitude, and faithlessness. On their journey, they arrived in the wilderness of Zin, where there was no water, and instead of asking God (prayer), they blamed their leaders—Moses and Aaron– saying, “If only we had died in the LORD’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the LORD’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink.” (Numbers 20:3-5) Moses and Aaron sought the Lord, and the Lord told them what to do—they were to take their staff, assemble the entire community, and as the people watched, Moses and Aaron should speak to the rock, and it would pour out its water.

By this time, Moses had had it and said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock?” (Numbers 20:10). Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck it twice with the staff. And yes, water gushed out, and the people had enough to drink. But that was not the end; it was time for God’s feedback on their performance.

God expressed His frustration with the way things were handled. He said to Aaron and Moses, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” (Numbers 20:12).

We see that Moses’ response to the people’s behavior cost him a great deal—he lost the opportunity to go to the Promised Land. What a loss!

Let’s watch how we respond to people’s behavior. Let’s not allow others’ behavior to invoke costly responses in us that could cause us to miss out on God’s blessings. Because after forty years of the hardship of leading these people, Moses should have had the joy of seeing that land and enjoyed at least a glass of cold milk. But he didn’t; he was allowed to see it from a mountaintop, and that was it. 

  

 

   

GOD DEMANDS TOTAL OBEDIENCE AT ALL TIMES!

 

Obedience requires giving up one’s own plans, ideas, and aspirations, and doing what another person wants. It’s natural to not want to obey every single time we deal with people—family, bosses, friends, or authorities. With God, however, it is not enough to obey only part of the time; what He asks of us will always be in our best interest, so it behooves us to obey every time. He knows everything, so we shouldn’t compare our little knowledge and insights to His knowledge. 

Moses had led the Israelites for over forty years through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. It was a tough assignment for him because the people were so cantankerous; they argued, murmured, whined, rebelled, and disobeyed. They were downright impossible to lead or instruct; Moses was extremely frustrated with them, but each time they rebelled and God considered destroying them, he interceded for them (Numbers 14:13-20). Moses was a great leader. God’s own testimony of him was, “Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles!” (Numbers 12:7-8). The Scriptures often said of him, “He did as the Lord commanded.”

The frustrating moments Moses encountered in his leadership role included the following times: when they were sandwiched between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, when they were out of food, and when their water was bitter, and when they were out of drinking water (see Exodus 1410-12; 15:22-225; Numbers 11: 18-20; 20:2-12). In order to provide water for them, God instructed Moses and Aaron to take the staff, assemble the people at a rock, speak to the rock, and then He would make water gush out of the rock for the people. Out of frustration from the people’s constant rebellion, Moses struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it; that was the one-time Moses did differently than he was instructed. As hard as Moses had worked for all those years, you’d expect that God would cut him some slack, but that’s not what happened. Unfortunately, based on that one incident, he was forbidden from entering the Promised Land—the land flowing with milk and honey. What a loss!  

Usually, when Moses pleaded with God about something, He listened and granted his request. But regarding this one issue, God denied him (See Deuteronomy 34:1-4). Wow! This is proof that God has no favorites and does not sweep anyone’s sins under the carpet. For instance, as much as God loved David, his adultery with Bathsheba was punished—they lost that baby. So, for us believers, I say, “Thank God for Jesus Christ who paid for our sins—past, present, and future.” Can you imagine the disappointment if we, as believers, found out at the very last minute we couldn’t enter heaven because of some sin we committed? We would have missed the opportunity to see Jesus face-to-face, and to inherit the mansions prepared for us. But thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice. He assures us that our life is secured in Him: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish” (John 10:27-28

Let’s be careful how we walk and understand that every sin we commit stems from disobedience. God has not left us to figure out on our own what is or isn’t sin. He has told us in plain language what to or not to do. So, if we violate any of these commands, it’s because of disobedience. If we focus on obeying His Word with His help, we’ll have no issues with disobedience. We are reminded by Peter that judgment will begin with God’s household, and therefore we should continue to walk in the Truth, even when it hurts (see 1 Peter 4:14-19). Verse 19 says, “If you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” If Moses’ emotions hadn’t gotten in the way, he would not have missed the reward of entering the Promised Land.

God-loving us does not bring Him down to our level; we need to love and revere Him, and the way to love Him is by obeying Him: “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). May God help each one of us to obey Him at all times and in all things.

THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible is the Word of God! There are people who turn their nose up at it, saying it is not, because it was written by men. If you write down what someone told you or dictated, can you really claim that whatever you wrote was your idea? For example, when I was growing up, family members who had no formal education and therefore could not read or write would ask others to write letters on their behalf to their family or friends. These scribes wrote what was dictated. In the end, they didn’t sign only their name, but also signed the name of the person who dictated the letter. 

In the same way, God claims ownership of the Bible by clearly stating: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16). So, yes, men wrote it, but they were inspired by God to write it down. They didn’t all sit side by side to write and compare notes; each wrote their portion at very different times as they were led, but amazingly, they complement each other perfectly! The reason? They were each inspired by God to write for Him! 

Having established that the Bible is the Word of God, how are we supposed to use it? In order to get the most out of it, we need to read it prayerfully and consistently, meditating on it and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts. Then we need to obey what we learn to the letter! In addition, we need to share what we learn with others. That’s what God commanded Joshua when He appointed him to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses’ death. Studying the Word of God is not a suggestion but a command: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1: 8). 

We are commanded to obey everything, not only the portions we like; everything includes everything. We can’t obey commands that we don’t have, and that is why we have to study it diligently and know it well. Prior to God giving the law, people sinned, “But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break” (Romans 5:13). Now that we have God’s command in writing, breaking it means sinning; that’s why we need to know it and obey it accordingly. 

Let’s understand that obeying God brings blessings, as Joshua learned: “Only then will you prosper and succeed.” Disobedience will naturally bring the opposite of the blessings God promised Joshua (see Deuteronomy 28). At the end of Moses’ life, God gave the Israelites a challenge, to choose between life and death, between blessings and curses. He encouraged them to choose life and not death. Their choice of life would be evidenced by their “Loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life” (Deuteronomy 30:20). 

Dear reader, the Bible is the Word of God! Please read it, take it seriously, and obey it; with obedience will come life and blessings. Start by repenting of your sins and asking God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. That’s how you become a child of God, and the Holy Spirit will guide and direct you as you read, study, meditate on, and obey it.

DO YOU EVER WISH YOU WERE DEBT-FREE?

Do you ever wish you were debt-free? How and when can that happen? You would need to start by identifying your debtor, figuring out how much you owe, when payment is due, and how to settle that debt. So, who are your debtors? What would you do if you couldn’t afford to pay that debt? You might file for bankruptcy or try to find someone to pay on your behalf.

I’m sure my questions so far make you think of your financial obligations. While they are essential, I’m actually talking about your spiritual debt, which you may not even know you have. This is what God says: “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standards” (Romans 3:23). How did we fall short? “When Adam [our ancestor] sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 15:12).

God, being holy and just, has to punish sin, and He declares what the punishment is: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Although He has clearly stated the punishment, He has also shown us how to be debt-free and receive debt forgiveness. It isn’t that our sins will be swept under the carpet, but rather, someone else has already taken our punishment on Himself—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God’s justice is therefore satisfied in Christ.

We each have a role to play. Although Jesus paid our debt, each individual has to personally accept Jesus’ payment as their own, and pray, asking God for forgiveness based on that. Anyone who does not take this step cannot benefit from Jesus’ work, which means that person will have to pay for their own debt through death, also known as eternal separation from God in hell.     

What would you like to do now, or have you settled this issue already? If not, where would you go if you died tonight: heaven or hell? This question is vital because “Each person is destined to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you are unsure where you’ll go, I’d like to encourage you to call on Jesus today; tomorrow might be too late. You can repent and ask for forgiveness only while you’re alive.

 If you have prayed and asked God for forgiveness, I’d like to welcome you to the family of God. He has forgiven you and adopted you into His family and has come to dwell in your heart through His Holy Spirit. Now you are His child—a new person: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

So, as a new person, where do you go from here? The Holy Spirit is going to direct you as you pray and read the Bible: “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). As you obey what you read, your desires and interests will gradually change to line up with the Bible. You should focus on becoming more like Jesus: “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). In addition, seek to join other believers for fellowship, prayer, and studying the Word of God. And don’t forget to share your experience with others who need to do the same thing. Again, welcome to the family of God; rejoice that God has removed your sins as far away as the east is from the west, never to be brought up again. Your debt is fully paid!