God Resolves Life’s Toughest Issues

God Resolves Life’s Toughest Issues Devotional Reading, July 28, 2023

When studying the life of David, we learn that David had tougher issues in His life than most of us can imagine. As a fugitive, he lived in caves while on the run from the jealous King Saul for 15 years before he became King. And then his favorite son, Absalom turned the people against him to overthrow his father and take the position of King. Again, David fled for his life.

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” —Psalm 34:17

Throughout the book of Psalms, David prayed for God to intervene against his enemies. One of our toughest challenges is external conflict. How do we handle the supervisor or coworker who does their best to make our lives miserable? Strife is abundant in many homes often caused by a spouse, children, or extended family members who we must interact with every day.

In John 16, verse 33, Jesus reminds us that our lives will include many tribulations. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Spiritual Warfare: Satan uses people, especially loved ones and coworkers with whom we interact with daily to wreck our peace and joy. Conflict resolution is a Band-Aid, there are no human strategies that can change a person’s heart. Our response to conflict is determined by our intimate knowledge of God’s Character and whether or not we faithfully trust His promises.

One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Exodus chapter 14. The children of Israel perceived their situation as hopeless. But God reassured them that He would take care of the Egyptians. “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall [remain quiet] hold your peace.’ ” —Exodus 14:13-14

David tells us the action we need to take: “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.” —Psalm 34:6

Reflection: Do I believe in God’s power and promises?

David embraced the fact that only God can resolve our toughest issues, especially when the people we love or see every day are involved. Many times, we feel overwhelmed by our situation, perceiving it as unresolvable. But it is taking us too long to grasp this concept—the righteous have many benefits! Without studying the Scriptures, we do not know God’s Character or His steadfast promises to fight all of our battles!

There is a vast difference between the heart of a believer and one of unbelievers who have no boundaries. The love of God keeps the believer from returning evil for evil. Conflict with family and those in management positions abusing their authority produces hurt, disappointment, and anger. Yet, we must keep the negative emotions of worry, discouragement, hopelessness, anger, and thoughts of retaliation in check.

Human Effort: 1. Pray for spiritual strength to overcome counterproductive emotions., 2. Pray for God’s Divine Intervention, and 3. Study 1 Corinthians 13, the “Love Chapter.”

Learn how to love by God’s Righteous standards. The Fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23] defines the characteristics of the Christian believer. Conduct yourself as a child of God by maintaining righteous behavior. Do not argue, or harbor anger, and unforgiveness in your heart. Be aware of your facial expressions and remain silent.

“But I say unto you, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. ‘ ” —Matthew 5:43–44

Jesus commands us to love our enemies, yet, we should not tolerate prolonged mental, emotional, or physical abuse. God sees what they are doing and He knows the evil in their hearts. Still, He waits for us to pray for Divine Help! Remain faithful and loving. We represent the love of Christ to others. And while we are waiting on God, we must hold our peace and fully rely on God! Remember, we do not have the power to fight spiritual warfare without Divine Help!

Praise to our Almighty God: Our Warrior God specializes in fighting battles! And you know what? He always wins the war! And He has already won your battle!

Scripture: “Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles, Or the LORD will see your gloating and be displeased, And turn His anger away from your enemy.” —Proverbs 24:17-18 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Prayer: God, we desperately need Your Help to resolve the hostile situation we are facing. With faith, we will wait on You, stand still, and be quiet. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries