Problem Solving: Obedience Strategy
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of May 8, 2022
One day, I was working around the house and noticed Pastor Rick Warren being interviewed on television. I turned up the volume just in time to hear him make a profound statement.
Pastor Rick described one of the most painful situations of his life and said that friends close to him immediately came to his and his wife's aid. From this, he learned and shared what best helped them in their most devastating moments: The ministry of presence.
Pastor Rick went on to advise viewers that, when people don't know what to say to those in dire need, say nothing. Just be there and intentionally don’t say anything.
Isn't this how it is when we meet God’s awesome, tangible Presence? When we experience Him as enough, we are comforted that no one gets our pain like Jesus. And we know that only He can fix it.
To be sure, resolving the impossible requires divine Presence and strategic action.
One beauty people of endurance are developed in is the humility of resolve.
As they are constant in prayer, laying down their issues, their limitations, their impossibilities at the foot of the cross. As they cry out to God and invite His Presence into their circumstances to redeem that which only He can. As they seek Him and find Him in the midst of their worst pain, when nothing else will do. And at the point where they encounter His perfect Glory-Presence, they experience His perfect shalom-peace for what’s needed most.
To function from this glorious place, we must put our hope in God. We and our issues must be submitted to God. This requires trust in God and a love for Him. It's all a journey of seeing and receiving Jesus in the midst and coming into His higher perspective and ways through experiencing Him. Then, intentionally acting from His Spirit.
Overcoming requires the victorious implementation of God’s strategy—spirit, soul, and body, as our entire being chooses life. When battles require our engagement, as led by Holy Spirit, our first place of engagement should be with Him to be empowered and guided. As we hear from Holy Spirit, He will bring us into more of His truth as strategy through revelation and wisdom.
Consider Joshua.
God commanded Joshua to not fear and choose courage for life. God released unique strategies to him for each battle as he needed them. To be victorious, Joshua had to trust God at His Word with his life and the lives of his troops. He had to obey God's strategies as he executed them in physical battle. Joshua had to keep his heart and mind aligned with God's promise of victory along the way. There was no room to consider anything less, because seconds do not sustain life in war.
We would do well to learn from Joshua, who was made stronger in God's character and promises as he obeyed.
So, what battles have you been fighting? Have your strategies been working?
Here are a few points to consider:
1. Don't engage in foolishness.
Engaging in wrong spirits, like strife, is a snare. So, don’t take the bait. Stand your ground by remaining in the beautiful, high, glorious place with God and let Him deal with the perpetrators.
2. Get to the root to overcome.
As we dwell in God’s Presence, we can fearlessly go deep, wherever He shines His light to be restored in our root system and foundation. Doing this will reset our expectations in life for God’s goodness.
3. Resist the devil and he will flee.
As we submit to God’s authority, the enemy flees (James 4:7). Many ugly things will just fall away as we dwell with the beautiful and strong Lord of our lives. The enemy cannot touch us in God’s Holy tabernacle.
4. Speak up and out.
Speaking up appropriately makes all the difference. Having meditated on God’s truth, praising Him, and declaring His promises over our lives and situations is powerful and helps bring needed change.
So, pray with me if you will…
Dear Lord,
Thank You for helping me overcome adversity in my life on earth through Your life in me and in Heaven. I invite You to bring resolve in my life and to begin with me. I invite You to reveal to me any issues in me for the purpose of overcoming them. Open my eyes to see Your invitations to Your beauty of life within me and all around. Help me to release wrong things to You and rise with You. Help me to fight fearlessly and strategically with You for Your glory. Thank You for graciously completing Your finished work of the cross in my spirit, soul, and body. Help me to receive Your blessed life more fully and live it out abundantly.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name.
Amen.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
Originally published Sunday, 08 May 2022.
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