What if you’re facing a situation that in the natural seems impossible? Because the Bible says, “Faith without works is dead” (James chapter 2), you might ask yourself, “When do you take action and when do you cast all your care upon the Lord?” (1 Peter 5:7) Here are some guidelines to help you determine when to step out and when to ‘let go and let God’… 1) Ask God for direction. James 1:5 in the New Living Translation says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Sometimes God allows people to get into difficult situations as a reminder that we are to look to Him as our source.
2) Obey whatever the Lord leads you to do. He might instruct you to do something that seems ridiculous but will ultimately lead to victory. In Joshua chapter 6, the children of Israel silently marched around the walls of Jericho for six days and then shouted on the seventh. The walls then fell flat and God gave them the city.
3) “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15) Sometimes you might feel pressured to take action and “step out to find out.” But if you have no peace about the direction you’re heading, don’t move any further. One time I was in Florida preparing to drive up to Minnesota. I perceived God wanted me to leave Florida on a Monday. Some people I was staying with suggested I leave on Sunday but I didn't have peace about leaving early. So I left Florida on Monday morning. That evening I encountered a traffic jam in rural Kentucky. I soon found out that was the result of a tanker explosion hours before that killed some people. The first thought that popped in my mind was, “Had I left Florida a day early, I might have gotten killed!”
4) Use discernment when people try to give you advice. Most of Job’s friends weren’t hearing from God when they gave him reasons why he experienced calamities. Another time I was Kassel, Germany and perceived God wanted me to go to Berlin but initially didn’t have the finances to get there. Someone suggested I get a job so I would have the money to buy a train ticket. This was bad advice considering I couldn’t get a job for not being a German citizen. Aside from that, God sent me to Germany to preach the gospel. So one day I put on some music and starting worshipping the Lord. Not long afterwards, I received an unexpected donation and soon took a train to Berlin.
5) “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) Spend time waiting on God and He will renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). Once I was facing a legal situation that in the natural looked rather bleak. While lying still before the Lord, “Psalm 57:6” popped in my mind. I grabbed my Bible and read, “They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me; into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah.” That verse brought comfort to me and eventually the charges I was facing were dropped.
As I heard one preacher say, “Do what you can in the natural and God will move in the supernatural.” So if you have done all you that know to do, then “Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” (Exodus 14:13) Remember that God is bigger than any problem you may be facing.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28
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