“The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.” Psalm 34:19
I was reading my devotional this morning by Rick Warren. He is talking about struggles in life, more specifically, why do they continue to go on and on. I love what he said:
“Here’s the lesson: When God allows a crisis into your life, He doesn’t solve it immediately. He lets it go on for a while because He wants to see if you’re really serious about seeking Him. If God answered every prayer immediately, you’d begin to think God was a big vending machine: Put in Prayer, Pull out whatever you Need.”
He’s got a point!
I’m studying the book of Ruth in my women’s group right now. Last week, we were studying when Elimelech moved his family from Bethlehem to Israel, focusing on Ruth 1:1-7. One point the author had us ponder was WHY did Elimelech move his family?
Bethelehem was in the midst of a famine when he made the decision to move his wife and sons. They stayed in Moab for at least 10 years. During their stay there, Elimelech and both of his sons died. Naomi, his wife was left a widow with her two daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth. She hears the famine has lifted in Bethlehem in verse 6:
“…the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need by providing them food.”
God had allowed a famine to enter Elimelech’s life. It didn’t end overnight but went on for years. Instead of waiting on God to provide, he moved to a foreign land. A land which held great tragedy for his family. What would have happened if He had waited on God in Bethlehem? What miracles did he miss out on because of his impatience? We’ll never know.
What miracles are you missing out on because you aren’t willing to wait on God in the midst of the struggle?
Are you trying to solve your current struggle yourself or are you seeking Jesus? Have you looked into His word to see what it says about your situation? Is it relational? The Bible has a lot to say about how to have healthy relationships. How about financial? There are more verses about money in the Bible than there are about salvation. God knew we would need them.
Whatever it is you are struggling with today, don’t try to fix it. Instead, turn to God. Seek Him in prayer, read His word, talk to wise counselors in the faith. He knows you’re struggling. He has a plan. All He wants is for you to seek Him in it.
God-O-Matic
