Overcoming Challenges

Central thought:  Challenges are allowed by God for our overall spiritual development.

 

 

Text: 1 Samuel 30:1-8; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

 

 

Quite often, these days, you hear brethren talk of either this or that, “challenges”.  It has become a modern parlance for problems, difficulties, etc. of life about which solutions have been sought to no avail.  Surely these problems are real and have been borne by many from year to year, forcing some to resort to seeking for answers from one “miracle center” or the other when they feel that their supposedly “more spiritual” brethren and local congregation have failed.  In discussing this topic we shall retain the word “challenge”, identify some of these challenges and see whether solution is still obtainable with Him about whom it is said, “with God nothing shall be impossible”, Luke 1:37.  Herein lies the thrust of this stud – has God truly heard of my “challenges” and if yes what has He said about it/them?  Therefore, this study is designed more for the individual Christian than the congregation, to bring us back to the benefit of assessing God (our Father) on the basis of our purchased Sonship and with a view to learning how to deal with circumstances that are, perhaps, becoming obvious reproaches in our lives and service to God.

 

 

1. What do you understand by the phrase “overcoming challenges”?

It is the ability to identify a challenge and finding a lasting solution to it in such a way as befits a child of God.  It is “to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke”, Isaiah 58:6 on your individual lives and on those around us.  It is like the Lord saying, after chiding His disciples for faithlessness and failure to deliver a lunatic child, “bring him hither to me.  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour”, Matthew 17:14-21.  Thus it is a divine intervention that brings relief to the individual and to the people around him for the sole purpose of glorifying and exalting the name of the Lord.  It therefore involves a pathway that has the approval of God.

 

2. From the experiences of David and Paul in 1 Samuel 30:1-8 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 respectively, suggest a possible way for overcoming immediate and long term challenges.

For David, it was a life threatening challenge, “for the people spake of stoning him”, 1 Samuel 30:6.  Eventually he resorted to consulting God on what to do, “And David said to Abiathar the priest . . .I pray thee bring me hither the ephod. . . . And David enquired at the Lard, saying, shall I pursue after this troop . . ., 1 Samuel 30:7-8.

For Paul it was a sustained humiliation, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan, TO BUFFET ME . . . for this thing I BESOUGHT  the Lord TRICE, that it might depart from me. . ., 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

For the child of God that wants a divine intervention on his/her challenges, it may be well to note the following:

1. Both men (King David and Paul) knew the Lord for themselves – the Lord also knew them by name.  Therefore, the first condition is to be a member of God’s family through the instrumentality of the born-again experience – personal and genuine.
2. Both men were yielded to God’s Holy Spirit, whose leading is freely available to all believers. 1 Samuel 12-13, Acts 9:17
3. Prayers (and perhaps with fasting) or consultation with God UNTIL HE (GOD) SPEAKS ON THE MATTER – for David it was “. . . And He (God) answered him (David), pursue: for thou shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all”, 1 Samuel 30:8.  For Paul it was “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness”, 2 Corinthians 12:9.  This is the CRUCIAL step where many miss it.  For example, in that particular situation what did the Lord say back to you when you consulted Him in prayers?  We need to get used to the voice of our Father through the ministry of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
4. These men had unwavering faith in God.  That is, if God cannot do it, no one else can, “. . . and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even out faith”, 1 John 5:4.

 

3. Guided by the steps above, discuss the how following challenges in the body of Christ can best be handled.

1. Health Challenges:

Our trust should neither be in medical science or in physicians; this was the error of King Asa, 2 Chronicles 16:12.  The believer is not to deny the reality of any health challenges.  The physician may make his own diagnosis but healing comes from God.  The believer’s faith should be in the report of the Lord as written in the Scriptures concerning healing and divine health.  Therefore, the believer who has health challenges is to ACTIVATE his personal faith in the accomplished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary, Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17, “. . . That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, Himself TOOK our infirmities, and BARE our sicknesses”.

2. When a desired blessing seems delayed.

Sometimes desired blessings such as a life partner, child bearing, employment, admission to and institution of learning, etc., may appear not to be forthcoming or seem delayed.  In such situations, it is better not to blame or suspect anyone.  Rather go to God in prayers, believing that in His own appointed time, He will bring to pass the desires of your heart. The counsel of the Lord Jesus concerning undue anxiety and worry about the issues of life is pertinent here, Matthew 6:25-33

3. Poverty, business failure.

This is also a challenge in life.  In response to this, many have engaged in all sorts of sharp practices, unwholesome alliances and terrible business ventures.  They way out is this:

1. First seek/consult the Lord on what to do – career, business type and obtain detailed information from Him:
2. Ask for grace to excel in what He has chosen for you.  See Bezaleel an Aholiab, Exodus 35:30-35.
3. Be diligent, hard-working, Proverbs 22:29, “seest thou a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before Kings and not before mean men”
4. Update yourself by way of further training in your chosen field of endeavor.  It may NOT be too late to start afresh.

4. The challenge of false doctrine.

We are in the last days and Scriptures must/needs to be fulfilled.  It is the responsibility of the believer to guard against false doctrines.  It does not matter whether these false doctrines are being peddled by popular Bible teachers, pastors, and head so missions.  We are warned in Scriptures to beware of any false teacher, false doctrine and false prophets in the last days.  We should be like the Berean Christians who searched the Scriptures daily even after hearing Paul’s preaching, Acts 17:10-11.

5. Security challenges.

There is no doubt that globally we are faced with security challenges like terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, etc.  The believer must put his trust in the Lord, Psalm 91, and on a daily basis the following will be helpful:

1. Be patient enough to seek the counsel of God on your movement for each day, “In ALL THY WAYS acknowledge Him, and He shall DIRECT thy paths”, Proverbs 3:5-6
2. A little prayer on your pathway for the day, “And he (Eliezer) said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day”, Genesis 24: 12
3. Put on the whole armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18
4. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Daily living application:

There is no immunization against the challenges of life: they surely must come.  But handling them successfully is within the ambits of our divine provision fully paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ.  And perhaps the greatest challenge of this study is the encouragement of the individual Christian to develop a consistent fellowship with the Spirit of God.  No matter the challenge, we should always trust in the Lord, who has promised us victory at all times.

 

 

Memory verse

Numbers 23:19 – “God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it?  Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”