Proverbs 24:14
This really spoke to me today. Why? I hope I can explain so you too will be blessed. Let's say you are constantly dealing with the same trial over and over. You struggle with the same thing for years. You are faithful in the challenge. You do what God knows you want to do but things still don't work out. What could be the problem?
How about this -- what if what God wants to change in the challenge is you? What if you have a wrong view of God that needs to be changed?
If you've asked for wisdom, then it will surely come. That's in James 1.
Anyway, can I share our struggle? For years we've struggled with finances. We always get through. We've given all our married years. God has somehow always made it work, but there has been like we are at an impasse. I know God wants to do something new in this area but we were at this place we couldn't get past.
We gave.
We prayed.
We believed.
We believed.
We prayed.
We gave.
But still the impasse.
And every time we were stuck I would examine myself and think I must be doing something wrong. I would think I must not be giving enough. God must not be pleased.....
I WAS WRONG!
And God was so faithful to keep giving me the same lesson over and over until I saw it from a different perspective.
This whole time it has been spiritual warfare for us. God is a good God. It is the enemy who wants us to think that God is withholding "for our own good." Or he tells us that God is "just trying to teach you a lesson" in the bad kind of way.
Many of us are so prone to quickly think we are at fault when things don't go well. We definitely don't want to blame God because He's never wrong so we blame ourselves.
Often, it isn't us or God. It is the enemy who is getting between us and God's answer. Remember when Michael the archangel was delayed for three weeks (found in Daniel 10) in answering Daniel's prayer because of the enemy's tactics?
That stuff still happens these days.
If you know you are doing what God has called you to do in your situation but you still can't get past whatever it is you have to get past, realize you very likely are dealing with spiritual warfare. God loves to reward those who seek Him (that is in Hebrews 11).
Bind the enemy. Plead the blood of Jesus over the situation. Speak to the situation and realize God is so much bigger. God will come through.