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Someone sent me an email from God—well, of course it wasn’t from God but it certainly contained some good, godly advice. I’m going to give you this “message from God,” and show how it is true to God’s character and to the Word of God. Here’s the message to you from God:
“This is God. Today I will be handling all of your problems for you. I do not need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you. P.S. And remember, if life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in my time. All situations will be resolved, but in my time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.”
Think of that first statement: “Today I will be handling all of your problems for you. I do not need your help.” Does that mean you and I don’t have to do anything at all about the difficult situations in our lives? No, of course not. But we have to learn what it means to “cast all our anxiety on him because he cares for us” (2 Peter 5:7).
Do you find it difficult to release your cares and concerns to the Lord? It’s one of the areas where I struggle most, to determine what I’m supposed to do, and when I’m supposed to let it go. But this much I’ve learned: the first and most important thing for me to do when I’m facing a difficult situation is to spend time in prayer about it, not to rush into action.
You remember the story in 2 Chronicles 20, where Jehoshaphat was facing a terrible problem, and he was alarmed. But his first move was to “inquire of the Lord,” before he formulated a plan, before he made a move—he inquired of the Lord.
Once God gave him a plan, he did what the Lord told him to do. He led his army to the battlefield with the instruction that “Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.” They had to show up at the battlefield, but they did not have to fight, because the battle was not theirs, but God’s. That’s what God means when he says, “I will be handling all of your problems for you.” All he needs from you is obedience to follow his plan.
Are you there today—facing a difficult situation? Remember this message from God to you: “The battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15b).