What To Do When You’re At The End Of Your Rope:
1. Recognize you’re a lost cause.
- vv. 8-10.
- I mean, of course, a lost cause to solve the problem on your own.
- we follow our brilliant plans, but end up at the end of our rope.
- they probably chose this route because they hoped to gain the element of surprise.
2. Look for the Lord.
- v. 11.
- it’s time to say, “I messed up - I need God’s help.”
- often it is the failure of our strength and wisdom that is the very thing that turns our attention back to God’s strength and wisdom.
3. Listen.
- v. 16.
- we can often hear the Lord’s guidance through the Word, prayer, mature believers.
4. Let go.
- v. 17.
- here’s where it gets tough.
- the world says that when you’re at the end of your rope you need to tie a knot and hang on/God here says we need to let go.
- what do I mean by letting go?
- what I mean is that so much of the wisdom of God is not “logical” in the traditional sense/it requires a step of faith.
- some examples:
a. I’m dealing with financial difficulties/the logical response is to use as much as money as I’ve got to deal with the problems/God’s wisdom says that I need to start by honoring God with a tithe/it’s a step of faith - you’ve got to let go and trust God.
b. I’m incredibly busy and have got too much to do/the logical response would be to work on time management techniques and utilize technology to maximize the effectiveness of my time/God’s wisdom says that I need to start by making plenty of time to be alone with God in prayer/it’s a step of faith - you’ve got to let go and trust God.
c. I’ve got someone who’s backstabbed me at work/the logical response is to work up ways to make them look bad and look for opportunities to impugn their character in front of others/God’s wisdom says that I need to forgive my enemy and do good to them/it’s a step of faith - you’ve got to let go and trust God.
- that’s exactly what’s going on here/the logical response would be to discover an alternate route/God’s wisdom instructs them to dig ditches.
- it’s a step of faith - they’ve got to let go and trust that God is going to catch them/if He doesn’t and they’ve exhausted what’s left of their energy and time with their shovels, they’re dead meat before the oncoming army.
5. Don’t lower your expectations.
- v. 18.
- in a tight spot, we often begin to expect the bare minimum from God/rather than asking for and desiring a powerful move of God, our heightened concerns cause us to ask God for any little thing He could do.
- they definitely had heightened concerns: desperate for water, soon to face a enemy army.
- yet God here reminds them that even though they’re in a tight spot, the solution is still a “simple matter” for Him to solve.
6. Live.
- v. 20.
- when we let go based on God’s promises, we can know that He’s going to answer.
- expect God to fill you in the morning, as He does here/you may be in a dark valley because of the mistakes and bad decisions you’ve made, but know that God’s answer is coming in the morning.
