A few days ago, I woke up before my alarm clock with other alarms going off in my head, “What about all these problems? What was I going to do about my kids' and grandkids'? How am I going to respond to the discussions about religion I’m having with my sister? Will Trump go to jail? How can the Wednesday Warriors strengthen each other and reach more people for Jesus? Will the J6ers ever get justice? Who will win the election? Will we even have an election? Will America survive?”
The myriad issues running through my mind seemed insurmountable to me.
Then I remembered one of my favorite statements: "Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived." To stop focusing on the problem and start living the adventure God has for us, we need to:
1. Remember God’s faithfulness in the past.
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands . . . Then I thought . . . I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago . . . I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” Psalm77:2, 10-12
Worry happens when we meditate on our problems. Adventurous faith happens when we meditate on God, His mighty deeds, His promises, and His Word.
Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111:2,4
2. Know that God will demonstrate His faithfulness in the future.
One of the biggest lies of the enemy is that God won’t be with us. The truth of God’s Word destroys those lies. Knowing God through His Word and His Spirit enables us to “be strong, and carry out great exploits.” Daniel 11:32
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. Psalm 145:13
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10
For He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you" Isaiah 43:2
"I am with you always, to the end of the age" Matthew 28:20
One by one, I started to see each of my problems as an adventure with God, who declares “the end from the beginning and calls things that are not as though they were.” Isaiah 46:10, Romans 4:17
My paradigm shifted to declaring “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). As I re-committed to living life as a Holy Spirit-filled adventure, I felt God directing me to the stories of a few people who had lived out God-adventures and seen God-sized victories in seemingly insurmountable problems.
Joseph, Peter, Paul, and Silas were all imprisoned. Jesus was a convicted felon. Daniel and His friends were sentenced to death. Gideon and Jeremiah were too young. Abraham and Sarah were too old. Peter was too impulsive; Thomas was too skeptical. The giants were too big for David, Joshua and Caleb. Esther and Deborah were just women.
Their problems were “not a problem” for God. It didn't keep them from living the greatest God-adventures in history. Our problems are not a problem for God either and shouldn't keep us from living our own God-adventures.
For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible. Luke 1:37
There is nothing too hard for You. Jeremiah 32:17
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