OMG !!! What do I do?

Life is a roller coaster ride with too many ups and downs, bumps and halts. We have to face many situations and some of them would be life threatening and critical. It is quite naturel to be panicky in such situations. In such crucial times, the decisions that we take decides our future – it can either be good for us or disastrous. Usually, decisions taken in panick tend to be foolish. How do we handle such critical situations without losing our cool and without being foolish? As always let’s look into the treasure book to find clues…

OPENING THE TREASURE BOOK

Example of Saul (1 Samuel 13)

After Saul reigned two years over Israel, his army headed by his son Jonathan attacked the troops of the Philistines. Then the Philistines gathered together to fight Israel. The Philistine army was too powerful and numerous for Israel to handle. Many Israelites hid and some of them even fled to other countries. Saul and his army waited seven days according to the time set by Samuel, the prophet. But Samuel did not come to Saul and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” He then offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, Samuel came. When Saul went out to greet him, Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw my people scattered and that you did not come within the promised days and saw the Philistines gathered together to fight us and that I have not made supplication to the Lord, I felt compelled and offered a burnt offering.” Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Analysis

Here Saul was in a very strenuous and critical situation. A huge army of the enemy was ready to attack his country and he could not match them in anyway. He was between life and death. His people started abandoning him and above all the prophet who was supposed to tell him what to do next did not turn up as promised. He grew afraid & impatient. Instead of waiting any further, he took the matter in his hands and sacrificed before God. Right then Samuel arrived. In lifethreatening situations, we usually tend to take very stupid decisions out of panic and that’s exactly what Saul did here. Instead of trusting God who made him king and waiting on Him to carry out His perfect plan, Saul tried to carry out his own plan. Saul was very foolish to act in haste and carry out matters his way. How far could he go in his own might? He disobeyed God, did not keep His commands and acted foolishly. There was consequences for his foolish act – Saul lost his kingship because of this foolish act.

Not keeping God’s commands in any critical situation is foolishness. The decisions made in disobedience to God’s commands, no matter how critical the situation, is foolishness and will have bad consequences.

Example of Israelite Midwives (Exodus 1:15-21)

Israelites were living in Egypt after the time of Joseph and were multiplying greatly. The Egyptians were threatened because of this and the king of Egypt called the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah who used to assist the Hebrew women in child birth and told them “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?” And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” Therefore, God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.

Analysis

Egypt was the biggest empire during this time and Pharaoh, the king was the MOST POWERFUL person in that empire!! The Children of Jacob (Hebrews / Israelites) were living there as slaves and were working for Pharaoh. God was with them and they multiplied in number!! Pharaoh and his people were alarmed at their rising population and wanted to kill all male children of the Israelites. During those times pregnant women used to give birth at their homes with the help of midwives (nurses). Pharaoh summoned the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah and gave them order to kill all the little boy babies at birth! It was an order – a command from the emperor himself. And if you don’t follow the command, it is a crime. You can even be put to death. Pharaoh had the power to do anything to them if they disobeyed him. On the other hand, “killing” babies or “MURDERING” them is a SIN before GOD. They were in a very critical situation. Either they should obey pharaoh and displease God or they should obey God and displease pharaoh.

How did the midwives handle this situation? Not obeying Pharaoh will definitely have horrible consequences – they could loose their lives. There could not be any situation worser than disobeying and displeasing a dictator who can get you killed in an instant!!! But they also knew God was the “supreme power” and that He is more powerful than Pharaoh. So they chose to obey GOD. They feared GOD more than they feared Pharaoh, the king. They believed God will take care of their situation if they trusted and obeyed Him.

Did pharaoh kill them for not obeying him? When Pharaoh found that the midwives did not obey him, he summoned them. God gave them the wisdom to answer him. Pharaoh let them go.

The midwives were wise enough to understand that it is better to OBEY GOD than dipleasing a dictator!!! Because they feared God and did not murder the little boys, God dealt with them well and gave them families of their own. The midwives handled the situations right and so it was well with them. They chose to keep God’s commandments even when it became life threatening for them. God took care of them and gave them a life.

Keep God’s commands in all situations, no matter how critical they are and it will be well with us.

When in critical situations, panicking is not a choice for us – who are the children of God. If we panick there is a great possiblity that we end up doing foolish acts like King Saul. The only thing we should do is to TRUST HIM completely, wait on HIM and abide by all HIS COMMANDS – like the wise midwives.

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Isaiah 43:1-2

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

As long as we are redeemed by Christ and remain as God’s children, He is our caregiver, our protector, our father and our all-in-all. We only need to trust HIM to guide us and take us through. When we trust God completely, He will fill us with perfect peace and there will not be any room for panic, anxiety, worry, fear or the sort.

No matter how bad or critical our situation is, GOD Almighty is the ONLY ONE who can help us through. It doesnt matter if we are passing through water, river or fire because there is absolutely no situation that God cannot handle. We need to remember that the situations that seem gigantic and powerful before us is very tiny and feeble for Him.

There is no situation that is too hard for God. Trust God with your life and wait on Him. He will fill your hearts with perfect peace and guide you through.

Treasures uncovered

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for teaching us how to handle all critical situations. Help us to completely trust you and wait on you rather than take foolish decisions during critical times. Thank you for filling our hearts with prefect peace. We Love you and adore you. In Jesus name, Amen.

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