Problems?

“During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem. But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:5-7 NLT)

In the early years of King Asa’s reign over Israel he made a lot of positive changes, but it was not easy, and he was forced to face armies that were much larger and stronger than his. It occurred to me that the way he handled the massive odds stacked against him can guide us in the problems that entangle us from day to day.

The truth is, though Satan is a defeated foe, he can build a very strong case against us, so much so that we often feel defeated before we begin. So, how do we face our problems in a way that honors the Lord and enables us to stand strong against the enemy of our soul?

2 Chronicles 14:9-11 says: “Once an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah, so Asa deployed his armies of battle in the valley north of Mareshah. Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God. ‘O Lord, no one but You can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You alone. It is in Your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, You are our God; do not let mere men prevail against You!” Then verse 12 says: “So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled.”

Don’t you love that! God is more powerful than any problem Satan can throw at us, we just need to make sure our theology is strong enough to defeat them. What do I mean? King Asa didn’t defeat his enemy with his army until he defeated them in prayer.

What’s our “knee jerk” response to many of our problems? What are the first words out of our mouths? “O God!” followed shortly thereafter with: “What am I going to do?” With emphasis on the I! Francis Chan wrote in the context of marriage: “Most marriage problems are not really marriage problems, they are God problems. They can be traced back to … a faulty understanding of Him. An accurate picture of God is vital to a healthy marriage.”

That’s true regardless of the origin of any problem. It can be money, children, work-related, physical, mental – whatever category it falls under, the source of the resources to overcome that problem must begin with God. Simply put, bad theology creates bad problems, because what we think about comes about. And what we think about impacts our attitude and our subsequent actions

If we’re so focused on the size of our problem that it morphs the size of our God, we’re defeated before we begin. A solution to our problems begins with a right understanding of who God is, and the only way to formulate a right understanding of God is to be grounded in His Word.  

Justin Talbert wrote in a Family Life devotional, again, in the context of marriage: “As our knowledge of the real, biblical Jesus increases, so does our day-by-day holiness. And that directly impacts the life of our spouse―and our marriage altogether. This question, then, becomes imminently important: What are you doing today to fortify your theology, your accurate belief and practice of who God is? There’s more than we realize on the line!”

So, do YOU have a problem? What are YOU going to do about it?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊