God allows circumstances to come into our life so that we may be tested—for the purpose of strengthening our faith.
I want to bring out five principles, and they all start with the letter R.
1. RELEASE the circumstances you’re facing to Jesus. The problem is that we want complete control of our circumstances. But the fact is we can’t do it, because God is in control. The Lord asks for our burdens in Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 55:22, and 1 Peter 5:7. So don’t be proud. Give them to Him. He doesn’t want to see you anxious or worrying.
2. REVIEW 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17 and realize that the Word is God breathed and good for instruction, discipline, and correction so the man of God can accomplish God’s will according to His purpose. Then review the Word of God in regard to the circumstances that you are facing. In Joshua 1:6-9 it is written, “Be strong and courageous, because the Lord your God is with you.
Then know who you are in Christ and that it gives you the ability to be an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. [Rev. 12:11] and because Christ is in you. 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
3. REMEMBER Jesus is in control. Is there anything too hard for God? In Mark 9:23 Jesus said all things are possible to him who believes. When God allows you to come into circumstances, He wants you to know that He can handle it. He wants you to trust Him completely. In Mark 4:39 Jesus demonstrates that he has power over the elements as he rebukes the wind and says to the sea, “Peace, be still.” In Mark 6:35-44, Jesus performs another miracle through faith when he feeds 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish.
4. RELY ON JESUS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH in circumstances you are facing. We should not be afraid to openly confess that we need Him to strengthen our faith. This was demonstrated by a father of an afflicted boy as he cries out to God in Mark 9:24. It’s not about us. It’s about Him. In Philippians 1:12-14, Paul praises God in the midst of adversity (while in prison) and he says that his imprisonment enabled him to develop a fresh confidence in the Lord, so that he can speak out and publish the Word of God with more freedom regardless of the consequences. And if you have God’s favor, He will even fight your battles as seen in 2 Chron. 20:15b which says, “Fear not the multitudes, for the battle is God’s.”
5. REST IN THE FACT THAT JESUS HAS PROMISED AN ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER. Rest assured that Jesus will deal with those tough problems that we can’t handle or will give us instructions on how to deal with them. In Mark 9:25-29 after Jesus rebuked an unclean spirit from a boy, his disciples asked Him why they couldn’t do it. Jesus responded that this situation required prayer and fasting. Many of us don’t pray and fast when dealing with tough issues, because of not knowing that this is an effective way to address tough issues, or we may be looking for a quick fix. [ie. We may say “Lord, please take care of this, I don’t have time, I’ve got to do something.”)
In Matthew 21:22 it says if we pray, believing, the Lord will hear us and answer our prayers. Also, in Hebrews 4 it says that we have the ability to receive that Sabbath type rest if we are obedient, unlike our forefathers who were not obedient and rebellious which resulted in their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years on a journey to the Promise Land which should have taken only 11 days. We can also rest assured that God will go that extra mile to protect the integrity of His Word as stated in Isaiah 48. He will not give another His glory (allow the devil to mock Him or accuse Him of defaulting on His promises to us). And God will do this regardless of our prayers.
The Lord answers prayers in the following 4 ways:
- Yes
- No
- Wait
- I’ve got something better
CONCLUSION
Practicing the above 5 principles is a good way to address our circumstances.
Are you laying down your problems at the foot of the cross? Do you pray believing what you are praying for has already happened? Do you doubt God’s ability to do anything and everything? If the Spirit leads you, please comment below.