You wake up, the birds are singing……

Then you roll over and realize you’re late for work-

To top it off: you stub your toe in the shower, and there’s a note on your front door – guess what?  Rent is late.  It gets better; your car won’t start, but thank God the neighbor gave you a jump.  Then you look down and realize you’re sitting on E (you(I) knew you(I) should have gotten gas yesterday).  To make everything better your card is declined at the gas station and all you have is $4.45 on you.

When you finally do get to work, your co-worker, Megan (sorry Megan) makes it known that you are finally (the alarm didn’t go off – geesh) making it into work, in front of the Supervisor no less.

Problems –

I guess the saying is true; problems really do have a way of piling up.  Now you’re sitting at work lamenting on how bad your problems are, wondering how much worse they’re going to get.  Wondering when it is all just going to be over.  “I pay my tithes,” you mumble.  “I go to church,” you groan.  “These problems are just too much, what am I going to do?” you cry.

Yet not once did you say, “Problems you may seem big, but I’d like to introduce you to someone bigger.”

I’ve done this before too.  Gotten so wrapped up in my problem that I forgot how big my God was.  I forgot that He was the creator of the Heavens and Earth.  That He Is the: I AM.  That everything I have is because of Him.  That everything we ever will be is because of Him.  We tend to forget in the midst of our trouble filled storms that God is bigger than our problems.

We have to remember that this is the same God that said:

“Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)

Let that sink in for a moment.  He said “Let there be light” and *BOOM* there was light.  How awesome is that.  Just think, if we tell our problems about our God, how much power could they truly have?

Problems, bah!  In Genesis 18:14 when the Lord was talking to Abraham and Sarah, He asked:

“Is there anything too hard for the Lord?”

Granted they were talking about babies, cause Sarah was really, really old.  However, problems meet God.  Problem: Sarah’s age.  God: Sarah gets a baby.  He said it, and it will be done.  God’s word is unfailing.

Playfulness aside, when did we stop telling our problems how big our God is.  Could you imagine just how at peace we would feel in certain situations knowing and believing what we are saying when we say “God’s got it?”  That has got to be an amazing feeling.  This is not saying that we will not go through trials, storms, and situations.  That nothing will ever happen and it will be all sunshine and roses.

Sometimes we go through them to elevate us.  The there are times we go through things because we are being taught something, because there is a lesson to learn.  Then unfortunately some trials, storms, and situations are because we have placed ourselves there by stepping out of the will of God and wandering off the path.  However Paul tells us:

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (Romans 5:3)

They help strengthen us.  I know no one wants to hear that their problems are helping them to endure, but the truth of it is they are.  I know mine have.  They have made me a better steward of my money.  Allowed me to understand the need to pray for discernment in my everyday life, and helped me to learn how to try to tell my problems (because they still happen – they didn’t just magically disappear forever – that kinda sucks) consistently how BIG my God is.

When problems arise and you don’t know what to say, take this verse from Jeremiah it is the beginning of one of his prayers.  You can use it to start to tell your problem how big your God is:

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” (Jeremiah 32:17)

There is really no need to worry.  I know things seem stressful right now, and you don’t know how you will make it through.  It may seem like the problem is super big.  Or that there is no way that you will be able to make it another day, let alone another month.  Yet, hold fast. God has told us:

“I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

The answer to that is no.  Unequivocally, unquestionably, NO.  I know this because He’s done it for me.  Over and over and over and over again.

I was separated from the military in 2015 (I was fluffy: weight control failure) <– problem.  I had: No job, no lease (home), car payment and insurance payment, a child in daycare, and bills and loans piling up.  Did I mention problem?  On top of that I had naysayers telling me that I was selfish for not fighting harder to stay in the military.  That I would never make it on the outside world, while inside the military my command was saying they wouldn’t fight for me if I decided to try and stay.  Again, did I mention problems?  Well it’s time for my problems to meet God.  I prayed and prayed and cried.  And prayed, and my God has come through because HE NEVER CHANGES!  He never left me.  I left Him (well, actually I put him on the backburner).

He blessed me with an apartment within my financial means and the ability to pay off bills and loans (Stewardship), a job (making more than I was before – OVERFOLW), the ability to pay off my car and pay the childcare on time and consistently (blessings), and the ability to bring more to the storehouse (GLADLY AND WITH A CHEERFUL HEART).  It was more than I could have ever imagined or wished for or prayed for. God showed out.  Once I told my problems how big my God was He stepped in and took over.  I know that if He did it for me, He will do it for you too.

We have to remember:

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19)

And that Jesus said:

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. (John 16:23)

By the way…Jesus can’t lie either.

So start telling your problems about how much BIGGER GOD IS than they are. Then pray and let God know that you BELIEVE, truly believe, how much bigger He is than your problems.

Then sit back and watch God work. As soon as we start/get back to a place of telling our God or asking God to fix our problems instead of diminishing God’s power and giving more power to problems than they need or even have, we will see a giant shift in an atmosphere! And our problems won’t stand a chance.

So do tell your problems how much bigger God is than them? Or do you continue to dwell in the sadness of the “problem?”