Are you currently facing a challenging situation? I recently came across a thought-provoking statement that really made me stop and think. It goes like this: “If God doesn’t rescue you from a difficult situation, or if He doesn’t lead you around it, it’s because He has already given you the tools to achieve victory in that situation.”
It caused me to reflect on the many times I asked God to deliver me from a conflict.
Perhaps you can relate. When we encounter challenging situations, we often ask God to deliver us or remove the challenge. I have done it many times. It’s much easier to be delivered from a challenging situation than to walk through it.
While meditating on this truth, I remembered a scripture in the Old Testament. When the Israelites exited Egypt, they encountered numerous challenges. But rather than taking them through the situation, God chose to take them around it.
Why did He do that? Scripture gives us the answer.
Exodus 13:17 says, When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
God led them around because they were not yet ready for battle. He knew that if they faced the battle before they were ready, they would turn from God and even want to return to their old way of life.
How many obstacles has God led us to avoid rather than confront because we were not ready for the challenge? This perspective reaffirms that He is indeed a loving and caring Father.
It’s easy to read about the children of Israel and think, “Why didn’t they trust God? Why didn’t they fight for what was theirs?” However, it is not so easy when we find ourselves amid the conflict, is it?
We may not be facing an army that is ready to fight to keep what belongs to us. But we face an enemy who will do whatever he can to keep us from the promises of God and from the inheritance that is rightfully ours through the blood of Jesus.
However, I want to encourage you today. The good news is, we win.
If you find yourself in a conflict, in which God has not delivered you, you are there for one reason. And know this – God has already equipped you to have victory in the conflict! That, my friend, is great news!
Oh, if we could all grab on to this truth!
I once experienced more than ten years of challenging times. God didn’t deliver me from those times, but He walked through them with me. He never left me.
God didn’t deliver Daniel from the lion’s den. He equipped him to come out victorious!
God didn’t deliver Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace. He equipped them to come out with victory!
God may not deliver you from your situation. However, that does not mean you will not have the ultimate victory. It only means you are equipped to walk it out. To come out on the other side with victory.
I love what Isaiah 43:1-2 says in the New Living Translation.
Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Oh, what a mighty God we serve. He never leaves us. He always causes us to come out into a place of victory!
Psalm 66:12 says We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance. NLT
THIS is the God we serve! He brings us through the conflict into a place of abundance.
Are you in conflict today? Have you asked God to deliver you from it? Do you find you are still in conflict? Then rest in the knowledge that your victory is assured! God has already equipped you to have victory in the conflict! You win! We win because Jesus already paid for our victory. We win because God has equipped us to win!
If you are in the middle of a conflict, I want to pray over you today.
Thank you, God! Thank you for walking with us in every conflict. Thank you for taking us through every difficult place–every place of confusion, challenge or chaos. Thank you, God, that you bring us out to a place of abundance! We are so very thankful that you are with us in the challenge to walk us through to victory. We believe we have victory now, in Jesus’ name.
So much blessed by this today
Oh thank you, thank you thank you. I needed to be reminded of this and going through some medical stuff can’t figure out how and why I’m getting it, but I know God does and he will be my great physician and my great healer and set me free in Jesus’ name. Thank you?