“Get me out of here!”
I think it’s quite possible—probable—that each of us has, at one time or another, screamed this out, even if the scream was limited to our heads. There are times in almost everyone’s life where they find themselves in a place or position where they are most uncomfortable or unwelcome or both.
How do we deal with this? Sometimes, we just figure it’s our lot in life to endure, so we decide to stick it out, grumbling and miserable, but determined to see it through.
Sometimes, we stay with it, but we let everyone around us know that we’re not happy and we hate the place or position. We whine and gripe our way through it with a fierce determination.
Still other times, we resign ourselves to the situation. We sigh, we mourn, we plod, we drag our feet, stoop our shoulders and somehow struggle on, becoming a martyr in our eyes if in no one else’s. “See how noble I am as I endure?”
And, for some of us, the best option is to bail. “I’m out of here, not playing this game anymore.” And we leave for those greener .
Regardless of the circumstances and how we respond to it, there is really only one right way to see ourselves through the circumstances. Not surprisingly, the Bible shows us the way.
Recognize that God is with Us
“Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19b-20).
The story of Joseph is an interesting one and it holds many lessons, from the tragedy of showing favoritism to deceit to endurance. One of the most interesting things about Joseph’s story is that there is no record of him complaining, despite all that he endured at the hands of others. His brothers first plotted to kill him, then sold him into slavery. He was wrongly accused of attempted rape and spent untold years in prison. Through it all, there is no record of Joseph’s complaining or anger or any other emotion. The closest thing we have to how Joseph felt about the circumstances in which he lived a large portion of his adult life is found in the above cited verses.
Joseph’s example is a good one for us. Throughout his circumstances, Joseph knew that God was in charge and that He had a plan. Joseph understood his responsibility was to trust in God and walk accordingly.
When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, the Bible reminds us that God is with us. The last statement of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew is, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Moses made the same promise to Joshua regarding God’s presence: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He repeats that promise before the people of Israel: “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
Since God has promised to always be with His people, then we must realize that He is always with us, regardless of circumstances. There may be times we may feel that God is not with us, times we feel we are all alone. But feelings are not the same as faith. God has promised to always be with us, and He will not abandon us, even if we feel He has. The reality is God’s promises are always fulfilled (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:18-22).
Pray About It
The apostle Paul was faithful in his service to God. He traveled throughout the eastern Roman Empire sharing the gospel with anyone who would listen. He ministered, making disciples of those who were converted, spending time teaching and preaching. Perhaps not surprisingly, Paul’s message often landed him in prison. From the moment Paul began his missions work, he was threatened, stoned and imprisoned. The first recorded imprisonment is in the Philippian jail (cf. Acts 16:16-40). He was also jailed in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 21:27-36). The remainder of the book of Acts has Paul in chains as he is being taken to Rome.
I don’t imagine being in prison in the Roman Empire was a picnic. The concept of human rights was rudimentary at best, and the care and feeding of prisoners was not the first priority of those in charge. In Romans 15:30-32, Paul writes, “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.” From this prayer, we see that Paul was not afraid to ask God to change his circumstances. The reason Paul asked this prayer for him was that Paul was convinced God wanted him to travel to Rome and minister there.
However, looking at other prayers Paul requests from readers of other letters, we see a different side of his requests. “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:19-20). “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (Colossians 4:3-4). In both these prayers, Paul’s request is that he may be effective in his ministry, despite the fact that he’s in jail. He doesn’t pray to be released, only to be effective. To the Philippians, he writes, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (Philippians 1:12-14).
What we learn from Paul is that circumstances may change, but our purpose in life never does. For those who are followers of Christ, it is our calling to walk in obedience to Him and to proclaim His word faithfully and, as Paul reminds us, fearlessly.
Now, looking at Paul in Roman prisons and seeing him not ask for release but only to be fearless and effective, I think I can look at my circumstances more objectively and see that, whatever the circumstances, they’re not beyond God’s ability to see me through it. Whether the circumstances is a job, a health crisis, a family crisis or some other unexpected and unsought event, I can realize that God is with me and that I need to prayerfully consider how God wants to use me and use my circumstances to further His will and His glory.
Walk in Faith
Paul wrote to the Corinthians a couple of letters that we find in the Bible. Of the two we have, the first is more of an instructional letter, written in response to a series of questions sent to Paul by the church there. The second letter, though, is more personal, more intimate.
In Chapter 4 of the letter, Paul writes about their ministry to the Corinthians. In it, he speaks of the hardships he has endured in sharing the Gospel through the eastern Mediterranean. He concludes the thought with, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). He writes later on, “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The writer of Hebrews says it this way, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1) and then adds, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The Christian life is one that is in constant conflict between faith and feelings. In Star Wars, we are told to trust our feelings. In the Bible, it says we are to walk by faith. Which of these two is the better choice?
There are times when circumstances crowd in around us that we feel alone, or that we feel like we have to handle it ourselves. Maybe we sense that God’s not really present at this point in time. If we embrace the feeling, we can become paralyzed in doubt, fear and sorrow. We may become angry with God and want to lash out at Him, or maybe walk away from Him.
It’s at that time we need to remember our faith. When the circumstances seem to overcome us, we need to remember a few things the Bible promises us:
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). God reminded me of this truth the night I found out my father had died. I felt completely alone, and I angrily told God to stop the feeling. His response was to remind me that my feelings were not unusual, but that He was with me. The feeling would fade, but He would always be with me. It has been a comfort in many other circumstances knowing that I am never alone. And neither are you.
“’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9). You and I are finite beings. We cannot see what tomorrow brings. Truth be told, we’re pretty blind about the next minute each day. God, on the other hand, is infinite, and His knowledge spans time. He is not limited by time as you and I are. He sees the big picture and He is in control. It’s good to remember this when circumstances seem to beating us senseless. And, it’s important to remember what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).
Moses’ journey from a goatsherd of his father-in-law’s flock to the leader of the nation of Israel is a story of a man trusting God every step of the way, even when he wasn’t sure God knew what He was doing. From the burning bush to overlooking the Promised Land, Moses never really knew what God had in store for that day, but He knew that God had a plan, and that God would see it through. All Moses had to do was trust, and obey.
Conclusion
Americans are proud of our ability to pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We laud self-made men and women. We honor those who “did it their way.”
But the truth of the matter is, we really don’t know what we’re doing. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 16:25). The prudent person will “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Maybe we think we can handle the circumstances, or maybe we think we can’t possibly survive them. In either case, the wisest thing—the only thing—a believer can do is turn to God in prayer and faith and let Him see us through it.
© 2019 Glynn Beaty