Courtney Gilmore Have you ever had a problem that no one seemed to be able to help you with? You have called everyone you can think of, but they either don’t know how to help you, they don’t have the power, or they don’t seem to care enough to do anything. I’ve been in this situation before and it makes you feel helpless, and eventually, you may begin to lose hope.
But what if, you lived in a country that had a king, and his daughter happened to hear about your situation . She was sympathetic towards you, so she went home and told her dad. Then, the king, who had the power to grant or deny your request, wanted to meet with you. You would be elated and you would stop trying to figure it out on your own or find anyone else to help you. You would meet with the king as soon as he was available and you would pour your heart out to him, right?
Now imagine that when you met with him, he did not rush you and he listened to everything you had to say. You were not sure if he agreed with your way of solving the problem but you knew for certain that he was bothered by the fact that you were so upset. Because he understood your problem fully, you could tell that he cared very much, and you knew he had the power to act on your behalf, you would probably walk away with a sense of peace and hope. You would no longer feel powerless because you had spoken to the one with all the power.
You Have Access to the King
In the real world, there’s no person who has all the power, knowledge, and love for everyone in the world. There are powerful people, but they’re not all-knowing, and the chance of the person in power loving you above all else is pretty slim. The more likely scenario is that you have people that love you and want to help, but they either don’t have the knowledge or the power.
But, that shouldn’t cause us to despair, because we do have access to the One with all the power. He’s the King of the Universe.
The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness… He has founded it… Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty.
Psalm 24:1-2, 8
Not only that, but He loves us more than we can fathom.
Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
Additionally, He knows what’s best for every single person and has the power to do something about it.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33
So, why do we still try to figure things out for ourselves or search for human help before we turn to Him? Why does it sometimes take that feeling of hopelessness and total desperation before we turn to the One who can actually help us? Then, even when we do, why don’t we approach Him like He’s the King, capable of knowing what’s best and powerful enough to do something about it?
Approach Him Like He’s the King
Sometimes I go to him with the problem already solved. I presume to know exactly what is best and I only need His power to implement MY PLAN.
Once, when my daughter three or four years old, I watched her playing doctor with her friend. My daughter was a good doctor, but when it was her turn to be the patient, she was still playing doctor. She was telling her friend to take her temperature, listen to her heart, and look in her throat. So, I called her over and said, “When you are the patient you don’t tell the doctor what to do. Instead, you tell them what’s wrong and they decide how to help you. So, you need to say my head hurts or my throat hurts then let the doctor decide to take your temperature, look in your mouth, or listen to your heart.”
So often I need to tell myself, this about the Lord. When you are the human you don’t need to tell God what to do. Instead, you need to tell Him what is wrong and let Him decide how to help you. He is the expert. He has all the tools. You just have a problem. You don’t know how to fix it, so quit telling the One with all the power and knowledge how to do His job. Tell Him your problem, then trust Him to handle it in the way that is best for you.
There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord.
Proverbs 21:30
Trust Him Like He’s the King
Speaking of trust… this is something else I don’t always do well. Even when I bring Him my problem without instruction, I don’t always leave it with Him. How can I walk away from a meeting with the King, still trying to solve the problem on my own? What’s the point if I don’t trust Him enough to let Him deal with it? The thing is, I logically do. I believe He is all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect, fair, good, and righteous and I believe He loves me beyond measure, yet I don’t always act like it. It must hurt Him when I am still worried, fearful, or discouraged even after I talk to Him.
Hannah had been feeling powerless for years. She couldn’t fix the problem that made her unable to have children, and neither could her husband. Not only that, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not fix the problem inside her heart. He kept trying to compensate for the emptiness she felt, yet she was never satisfied. No measures he took to try and even the scales carried enough weight. Even his love for her was not enough.
They were at a feast with the whole community and she was so sick about it that she couldn’t even eat. So, in a fit of total desperation, she took her problem to the Lord. God later granted her prayer, but Hannah was at peace before He changed any of her circumstances. The sick feeling she had before completely dissipated and she was able to enjoy the feast with everyone else.
Without Proof or Promise
Why did she feel such peace, even though God had not yet fixed her problem or even promised to? Had the Holy Spirit spoken to her spirit so that she knew that she’d soon become pregnant? Or did she just know that she was leaving it in the hands of the only One who could do anything about it?
I can think of one time in particular when God had given me no proof or promise, but I just felt that He’d eventually give me what I was asking for. He did not say it out loud and I don’t believe that God answers yes to every prayer. But I felt so certain, that instead of continuously asking Him for what I wanted, I began asking if today could be the day that He gave it to me.
Then, there was another time when I was in complete despair before I went to the Lord. Then, afterward, I felt complete peace, even though He had given me no answer and taken no action. In that case, He gave me the peace that passes all understanding. I should have been in a state of panic. But because I’d taken my problem to the only one with the power to fix it, and I knew that He heard me and cared, I was able to let go of the fear and worry, and feel totally at peace.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Power, Knowledge, & Love
We don’t know why He gives us some things and withholds others, but even when we don’t get the answer we want, we can trust Him. As long as we have access to the One who has the power, then we always have hope. Unlike an earthly power who may only give us one meeting, God never restricts our access. That means we can pour our heart out to Him over and over. He never tires of us asking and it pleases Him when we approach, no matter what the reason.
So, you may still be sad, you may have to wait, or He may not fix your problem in the way that you want Him to, but you’ve put it in the best possible hands.
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Unlike those who may have power but no care or knowledge, or may have love and understanding but no power, God has it all. He knows what is right for us, He has our best interests at heart, and He has the power to work things together for our good and His glory.
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Leave it All At His Feet
Though you are powerless in yourself, with Him, you have all the power in the world. So, don’t worry about the fact that you can’t fix it. Don’t look to others. If you, or they, had the power, you couldn’t do it as well as Him anyway. So, take your problems to the One that can solve them. Then, leave them there. While you are at it, give Him your fears, worries, concerns, needs, and wants, too. Let your Lord and Savior take care of them for you.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
Is the One who was willing to die for you not worthy of taking care of you? Has He not proven His love and power enough to be trusted?
But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
Links
You can Watch or Listen to all recent and future blog posts as devotions on LivethruJesus Weekly Devotions Channel on Podcast or YouTube and Substack.
This is inspired by “The Only One Who Has Power” which is about how Hannah was at peace before God ever answered her prayer for a child. You can Watch or Listen to it on YouTube, Podcast, or study it on Substack.
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