Ok, I got over my “You had a bad day” (see the article) and moving on. I found the two plumbing leaks: one around the base of a commode and the other in the copper pipe between the hot and cold taps on our whirlpool tub. Fortunately, they only leak when you use them. So I told my wife that the solution was “just never use that commode or take a bath in the master bedroom tub. Good, cheap solution, yes? It’s like a roof that leaks. It only leaks when it’s raining, so you don’t pay much attention to it until it is raining. So you don’t worry about fixing it until it’s raining, and you can’t fix it when it’s raining. So, when the rain quits, you forget about fixing it.

Is that the way you solve problems in life? You have a conflict with someone that only reignites when you get together at some family get together. So you suffer through that event, wishing you could reconcile with that person. But then you go home after the get together, and the conflict doesn’t show up again (it is still there though) until the next get together, and the same cycle repeats itself. You know that the conflict needs to be addressed, but you don’t have the courage or faith or wisdom to address it with the person. That’s no way to handle conflict resolution.

Can you think of similar problems that you put off trying to solve? I thought of James 1 when I wrote this. James 1:
² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The Holy Spirit has given us the wisdom of God to handle any and all trials or problems. That doesn’t necessarily mean the removal of the trial or problem (though it might), but the wisdom to make it through the trial or problem and to find the good that God can bring from that trial or problem. Remember Romans 8:²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Paul said, Philippians 4:¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God did not remove Paul’s problems. He left him with his “thorn in the flesh”. 2 Corinthians 12: ⁷ So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” He endured suffering and persecution as a Christian until his death which ended with him being beheaded. But God gave him the wisdom and strength to make it through all his trials, using them to the glory of God. So he was content with his trials and problems b/c they helped him trust in God’s power.

I am very impatient. I want a solution to problems immediately. I google a solution on my own and rush into trying to solve the problems on my own without consulting God and asking for wisdom (James 1:5). I remember problems David faced. Here is a great article by Maurice Bassali: https://tafj.org/2012/01/06/davids-nine-inquiries-of-the-lord/ He discusses the 9 times where it explicity says that David “inquired of the Lord” and asked the Lord what to do when faced with a danger during the 10 years in the wilderness that he fled from King Saul. For example, he “inquired of the Lord” if he (David) should take his men and resure the city of Keilah from the Philistine attack. The Lord told to go rescue them and that he would be successful. But after rescuing them, Saul found out that David was in the city of Keilah and Saul was coming to get the men of Keilah to surrender David so he could kill him. So David “inquired of” the Lord and asked him if the men of Keilah would be loyal to David and not surrender him to Saul or would they give him over to Saul. God told David that they would give him over to Saul, so David left Keilah and was spared. That’s just two of the 9 instances where David “inquired of the Lord” for how to handle problems. Don’t ask me how God gives us wisdom and answers to problems, but I believe he does. But we must ask, and we must ask in faith.

But at other times it seems as if David’s problems got worse when he did not “inquire of the Lord” for how to deal with them. 1 Chronicles 21 is one example. God was about to allow Satan to bring some punishment on Israel b/c of their sins. David did not inquire of the Lord on what to do. Instead, he panicked and told Joab to number the fighting men of Israel. Apparently David expected an enemy was about to come attack Israel as had happened many times in the past, and he wanted to know his military strength to ward off such an attack. Joab advised him against that, but did what David ordered. But then God punished David for trusting in his military strength and not inquiring of the Lord on how he should handle the crisis. God then gave him 3 choices for his punishment.

David got quite desperate at times and didn’t always inquire of the Lord when facing danger. One time he faked being mad in order to get the king of Philisia to not kill him but to allow him to live safely in Philistia. That led to David going out to kill many Canaanites and yet lying about that to the kind, telling the king that he had been killing Israelites. That let to the king wanting David to be his right hand man in attacking Israelites. I don’t know what David would have done if the Philistine commanders had not objected to David going with them to fight Israelites which caused the king to take David out of the attack. David did not inquire of the Lord in these situations and look what it led to.

So, my recommendation. Write down all the trials and problems that you are currently facing, short term and long term. Ask God for how to handle those. Be specific. Then do your research and see if you can find God’s wisdom on what to do. Trust that He will in some way give you a specific answer to each problem. Consult with others whom God might use to help you find solutions. Then act on God’s answers and trust him that He will work with you no matter what happens. He might not remove the trial or problem, but He will help you handle it and gain something good from it.