As believers, we all technically know this statement is true. And yet it is human nature to default to stress, anxiety and worry when problems arise. We often forget to rely on Him, and the truth of this statement is swept away by rising fear. The Lord recently led me to a verse that I rarely hear quoted, but is the PERFECT verse to meditate on when difficulties and worry strike.
In 2 Kings chapter 3, Moab rebels against Israel, and the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom had a tremendous problem on their hands. Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, was wise and recognized that they should inquire of the Lord about it, so they went to Elisha to see what the Lord had to say. His response is enough to calm any of us no matter how great our problems are:
This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; He will also deliver Moab into your hands. 2 Kings 3:18 (NIV)
The ESV translation says it is a “light thing” and the NKJV says “this is a simple matter”. Incredible, isn’t it?! You and I can hardly call a violent battle a simple matter, in fact, I can hardly think of something more burdensome, but all of our problems are easy to handle in the sight of the Lord!
We are not wrong to view our problems as large or difficult in our own eyes. Life is not easy, and without the Lord and His strength, we are weak and could never even begin to properly tackle every difficulty life throws our way on our own. Furthermore, we are no match for Satan. This is where proper humility comes in, and the recognition that we are only man, and HE IS GOD.
But beyond a healthy humility, the Lord doesn’t want us to dwell on our weakness. He loves us and wants to help us immediately and immensely in every situation. He has no desire for us to concentrate on life’s challenges, feel the burden of our problems, lay awake at night in worry, play out countless tactics for fixing our problems, and carry life’s difficulties on our own, leading to stress, anxiety, fear, worry and burn out. That’s what the enemy wants.
In contrast, the right approach is infinitely better and will spare us all the misery and stress of tackling things ourselves. The moment we identify a problem, we should immediately acknowledge we can’t handle it on our own, and immediately bring it before the Lord in prayer before we begin to give it even an ounce of thought, worry, or attempt to problem solve on our own. Our tactics are no match for His answers. We need His guidance for every aspect of our lives.
Our worry should disappear with the realization that He is greater than our problems. He can see the bigger picture, He knows all the facts, all the pieces of the puzzle, and has all the information that we don’t. He has a perfect strategy and infinite power, knowledge, ability and diligence to handle our problems. He doesn’t have to guess what the right approach is. And He is eager to handle life’s problems for us. Without fail, He will give us answers, wisdom, guidance, and carry us through absolutely everything.
So the next time something arises that is difficult and troublesome, remember to hand it over to God before you do anything else. It is a wonderful gift to know that we can place our problems in the hands of the God of the universe. Remember that whatever challenge you may face, it is a simple matter to Him, and He will show you that there is no problem too big for Him to solve.