What To Do When You're At The End Of Your Rope

What To Do When You’re At The End Of Your Rope:

1. Recognize you’re a lost cause.

- vv. 8-10.

- I mean, of course, a lost cause to solve the problem on your own.

- we follow our brilliant plans, but end up at the end of our rope.

- they probably chose this route because they hoped to gain the element of surprise.

2. Look for the Lord.

- v. 11.

- it’s time to say, “I messed up - I need God’s help.”

- often it is the failure of our strength and wisdom that is the very thing that turns our attention back to God’s strength and wisdom.

3. Listen.

- v. 16.

- we can often hear the Lord’s guidance through the Word, prayer, mature believers.

4. Let go.

- v. 17.

- here’s where it gets tough.

- the world says that when you’re at the end of your rope you need to tie a knot and hang on/God here says we need to let go.

- what do I mean by letting go?

- what I mean is that so much of the wisdom of God is not “logical” in the traditional sense/it requires a step of faith.

- some examples:

a. I’m dealing with financial difficulties/the logical response is to use as much as money as I’ve got to deal with the problems/God’s wisdom says that I need to start by honoring God with a tithe/it’s a step of faith - you’ve got to let go and trust God.

b. I’m incredibly busy and have got too much to do/the logical response would be to work on time management techniques and utilize technology to maximize the effectiveness of my time/God’s wisdom says that I need to start by making plenty of time to be alone with God in prayer/it’s a step of faith - you’ve got to let go and trust God.

c. I’ve got someone who’s backstabbed me at work/the logical response is to work up ways to make them look bad and look for opportunities to impugn their character in front of others/God’s wisdom says that I need to forgive my enemy and do good to them/it’s a step of faith - you’ve got to let go and trust God.

- that’s exactly what’s going on here/the logical response would be to discover an alternate route/God’s wisdom instructs them to dig ditches.

- it’s a step of faith - they’ve got to let go and trust that God is going to catch them/if He doesn’t and they’ve exhausted what’s left of their energy and time with their shovels, they’re dead meat before the oncoming army.

5. Don’t lower your expectations.

- v. 18.

- in a tight spot, we often begin to expect the bare minimum from God/rather than asking for and desiring a powerful move of God, our heightened concerns cause us to ask God for any little thing He could do.

- they definitely had heightened concerns: desperate for water, soon to face a enemy army.

- yet God here reminds them that even though they’re in a tight spot, the solution is still a “simple matter” for Him to solve.

6. Live.

- v. 20.

- when we let go based on God’s promises, we can know that He’s going to answer.

- expect God to fill you in the morning, as He does here/you may be in a dark valley because of the mistakes and bad decisions you’ve made, but know that God’s answer is coming in the morning.