How God Makes a Way When There Seems to Be No Way
We all have been in situations where we have wondered if there is a way out of our problem.
Illustration: Abraham found himself in such a predicament when he took Isaac, his only son up to the mountain to sacrifice him before God. Yet, just in the knick of time God provided a solution. The Bible says, “Gen. 22:9-14,
“Abraham built an altar and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. “Abraham! Abraham! Here I am, he replied; do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord will provide. (El-Shaddai)”
Illustration: Once we understand God then we can truly sing the song, “God will make a way when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me. He will be my guide, walking close beside my side. With love and strength for each new day. He will make a way for me.”
No matter what predicament, problem or difficulty you are facing the Lord has a way when there seems to be absolutely no solution in sight. God always provides a solution to any problem we are facing in the will of God. Let us look at the guidelines in complying with God’s will so we can experience His all sufficient grace, His enabling power and His sovereign working in our life.
1. Paul understood how God makes a way when there seems to be no way when he wrote, “It is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13,14) In order to be more like Jesus Christ we need to allow the Lord to motivate us and enable us to do the things that humanly impossible.
Know that the word of God and the Spirit of God are constantly at work in a believer to motivate and to enable one to accomplish all of God’s will for their life. Allow the Lord to use other believers, service and personal devotions to transform you more into what God wants you to be. By speaking the truth in love we gain a greater desire and power to grow up in all aspects into Him. Often it is in doing God’s will that we gain the desire to do it. (Phil. 4:8,9)
Application: People who fail to train themselves to be like Christ will continue to act as spiritual infants who have to rely on others instead of the Lord for their help. Refuse to be driven and tossed about by all the adverse circumstances of life or by the opposition from evil that we fight against everyday. Instead, ask the Lord to make you increasingly more like Christ in your thoughts, words and deeds.
Illustration: The writer of this song knew what it meant that the Lord would find a way when there seems to be no way. “May the mind of Christ my Savior, live in me from day to day. By His love and power controlling all I do and say.” Christ’s mind is ours through the presence of the Spirit and the light of God’s word. Let us learn how to utilize it in a way that we can always find a way out of whatever predicament we find yourself.
2. God makes a way when there seems to be no way when we ask the Lord to teach us the way to go. Moses wrote, “Teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.” (Ex. 33:13) Once we know the Lord’s attributes we are better able to discern His ways for our life. David wrote, “Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in your truth.” (Psa 86:11).
Application: Ask the Lord to fill you with the knowledge of His will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding so you can learn more about His way. Then you will be able to walk in a way that pleases Him in all respects and then bear fruit in every good work as you increase in the knowledge of God.” (Col. 1:9-11)
Illustration: One day, Maria Von Trapp, of the famous Sound of Music movie fame was singing in a concert. Her serious operatic presentations were not going down well with her modern American audiences. Most people thought her music was too stiff. Just then a fly flew into her mouth and she coughed and said to her audience, “I think someone knew I needed something to spice up my music.” Immediately the audience burst out in laughter and the ice was broken. After that Maria learned how to combine the professionalism of her past training with the rapport gaining techniques to win her audiences over. God always provides us with whatever is needed to succeed in His endeavors.
3. God makes a way when there seems to be no way when ask, seek and knock. Jesus said,
“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7) Too many people are not persistent in their asking, seeking and knocking so they are unable to find the way out of their problems.
God’s promise to provide a way out of our problems is sure but it is conditioned upon our tenacity to ask, seek and knock until He opens the best door. Be assured that when one door closes He always opens up a better one.
4. God makes a way when there seems to be no way when we admit that human ways are often contrary to His ways. Isaiah wrote,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8,9)
Know that the sovereign will of God is often beyond human comprehension. Allow the Lord to work in ways that are beyond human reasoning. Trust Him to lead you in ways that may not seem to make sense at the time. Do not demand to understand but trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
5. God makes a way when there seems to be no when we confess our sins, inadequacies and shortcomings. David wrote, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you.” (Psa. 51:2,11,12)
Know that the Lord wants to use you to bring others into His ways. Admit that you are a sinner who needs the Lord’s teaching, reproving, correcting and training in righteousness that the word of God provides. (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
Be willing to admit that you need cleansing from all unrighteousness that involves the sins of commission, sins of omissions, sins of wrong attitudes and the sins of faulty assumptions. The Lord only teaches the humble his way. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you at the proper time. Too many people do not find the way out of their problems because they are not willing to humbly confess their sins and ask God to cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
Application: Ask the Lord to use your mistakes, inadequacies and failures to be more effective in ministering to others.
6. God will make a way when there seems to be no way when you fix your eyes on Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb. 12:1,2) Jesus is not only the way to heaven, but He is the perfect way. God’s will is found in Christ and following His ways. No person has ever completed 100% of the will of God, as did Jesus Christ.
He is the way when there seems to be no way. If you want to know the way to go, follow the person, the words and the example of the Lord Jesus. His ways are perfect and all of His ways are peace. He works in us to empower us to do everything God asks us to do. Paul wrote, “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” (Phil. 4:13)
Application: Ask the Lord to perfect whatever concerns you regardless of the troubles you find yourself in. Allow the Lord to use your adversity to work patience, endurance and greater Christ-likeness in all areas of your life. (James 1:2-5)
7. God will make way when there seems to be no way when we ask the Holy Spirit and others to intercede for us. Too many people try to find the way out of their problems alone. Paul wrote, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints accordance with God’s will.” (Rom. 8:26,27)
Application: Ask others and God to intercede on your behalf so that you can receive the maximum benefits of intercessory assistance in your time of need. The Lord will find a way out of your fears, problems with anger, disappointments, hurts, unmet expectations or needy situation.
Maybe you are struggling to see how God might solve your financial, emotional, or social needs, but He will provide a solution for every problem if you only ask for intercessory help.
8. God will make a way when there seems to be no way when we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and then He will provide all of our essential needs.
Too many people waste their lives using wrong priority thinking. Americans are notoriously pursuing human concepts of success but are miserable failures before God. Jesus wants us to focus on Him and kingdom and righteousness priorities. When we pursue the quantitative and qualitative expansion of His kingdom we will experience His blessings that will supernaturally affirm God’s ability to provide us with all of our physical, social, and human needs.
Order your life more around God’s priorities than your own natural tendencies to take of your own business first. Ask the Lord to guide you to ways where you can make align your lifestyle around His priorities instead of your own natural impulses and desires.
9. God will make a way when there seems to be no way when we work in collaboration with other members of complimentary spiritual gifts. Why do so many people think they can find the way out of their problem without working in synchronization with other members of Christ’s body?
Illustration: The American mentality of doing like Frank Sinatra’s song, “I did it my way” is in opposition to God’s ways for success. Paul wrote, “He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-13)
\ We cannot fully know the way of God unless we are willing to work in collaboration with other gifted members of the body of Christ. God uses a whole range of spiritually gifted people to equip us, to motivate us and to teach us what we need to know in order to come to full maturity.
People who try to find the way out of their problems alone are going to lack some vital things that are necessary for completion in Christ. No wonder there are so many people who fail to experience the full benefits of God’s way because they are unwilling to cooperate with the whole range of God’s spiritually gifted people.
Conclusion: Ask the Lord to help you get more well rounded by working in cooperation with the full range of spiritual gifts in the body of Christ.
10. God will make a way when there seems to be no way when we rely on the Spirit to fight our battles for us. Zech 4:6 says, “Not by power or by might but by My Spirit says the Lord.” Stop trying to work your own way out of your problems in your own strength. Allow the Lord’s Spirit to infuse you with His power, love and self-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7) Too many people fail to find a way out of their difficulties because they prematurely give in to discouragement, frustration or fear.
Wait on the Lord and He will strengthen your heart. The Lord is strong and might to deliver you from any problem you are facing with the power of His Spirit. He is able to deliver you if you will allow the Spirit to fight the battles for you.
11. God will make a way when there seems to be no way when we ask Him to help us to wisely choose the battles that are worth fighting. There are many battles that are just not worth fighting. Ask the Lord to help you to know what is essential and what is non-essential. There are many times in traffic when it is best to just let the angry driver who is in a hurry to pass on by. Stop trying to fight every little challenge that comes your way. You are wasting valuable energy on things that do not ultimately matter. He will give you the wisdom to know the best ways to go if you will only ask Him. (James 1:5) James wrote,
“If any of you lack wisdom let Him ask of God who gives to all men and it will be given to you.” Trust the Lord to supply you with the knowledge, wisdom and insight to walk in His ways regarding your relationships, activities and ministries. He will give you supernatural wisdom that shows others how you are divinely inspired to evidence wisdom from above which is considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Reject the earthly kind of wisdom that is unspiritual, envious, selfishly ambitious and boastful. (James 3:13-17)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you to put away the Machiavellian kind of thinking that the ends justify the means and trust the Lord’s wisdom to guide you in every good way.
Illustration;Advice from Dr. Mitchell’s life: Someone in his congregation pointed out several faults in him and his preaching. Instead of retaliating, or trying to defend himself, he looked at the woman and said, "If what you say is true, would you mind praying for me?"
Source Unknown.
