Have you been there? You have some things really troubling you? You might even be a little depressed? You have some key decisions that you need to make? You are thinking about quitting in some way? You feel like others don’ appreciate you? You are starting to imagine some conspiracy plots against you?

But you also know that maybe you deserve some of the things that are troubling you? You know your secret sins even if others don’t. You know that you have had some ulterior motives that you don’t want others to know about.

You know that pride could be part of your problem. It might be that the Lord has already been trying to answer your questions and lead you in a good path but your pride has kept you going on your own path. God said, “My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts”. Maybe you have been relying on your own thoughts and ways instead of God’s. Maybe God is testing you. Maybe God is trying to humble you. Asa, Uzziah, and Hezekiah were great men of God until they were lifted up with pride. You don’t want to let your pride cause you to make some really, stupid, rash decisions. You want to just selfishly pull away from people, from the things you have been involved in. The future looks bleak. You have so much to be thankful for, but you are in a real funk. You might even have considered trying to drink your problems away, although that is not characteristic of you. You dont know who to talk to and who to turn to for help.

Lord, I need some answers. How do I get them? Well it starts with humbly asking God for wisdom. James 1:⁵ 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.” Then in faith trust God that He will give you some answers and lead you in the best path for you to take. Then, the hard part, wait for Him to clearly show you the answers. You look for signs or indicators of God’s leading. You try not to just look for the signs that might want to find, but be totally open to any and all signs. You think you have a sign and then you look for confirmation of that sign. Gideon asked God for a sign: a wet fleece on dry ground. He got it, but then he asked for confirmation: a dry fleece on a wet ground. I can’t believe the Lord gave him the 2nd sign without scolding him for his lack of faith.

I know some people who are just so decisive. They survey the situation. They make decisions and take action. They never second guess themselves or look back if they make a bad decision. But some of us don’t have as much confidence in our decision making skill. We have trouble making decisions. We second guess our decisions. We are always asking “What if I hadn’t don that, or what if I had done that”. We worry about making a decision and we worry if we made the right decision. That doesn’t sound like a lot of confidence that the decisions you make are in harmony with what the Lord wants you to do. If you feel like the Lord is helping you make a decision, then you make it and then the results and consequences of your decision over to the Lord.

Hebrews 4:¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” I am in need, Lord, please hear my prayer and help me.

“Lord, I am feeling lost and uncertain right now. I come before you with a heavy heart, seeking your guidance and wisdom. Please, reveal your answers to the questions that trouble me, and help me to see clearly the path you want me to follow. I trust in your love and your perfect plan for my life. Amen.” 

So I prayed and now I wait. I am afraid He will give me some answers that I don’t want to hear even though I say that I want answers. I was going to quit, maybe make a big show of quitting with an bad attitude. What if he tells me to get my act together, quit my pity party, and don’t quit. What if he tells me that he had me in just the right spot that he wanted me to be in.

Things will usually look better in the morning. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5 These troubling, uncertain times are when you find out how much you really depend on and trust God to lead you. Use them to grow closer to God.

If this article seems to be just what you need to hear today, then that’s great. Praise God and pray. Pray that prayer several times. William Carey was the father of Protestant mission work. He had a dream of preaching the gospel to the heathen Hindus in India. He met resistance from his Calvinistic preachers who said that, if God wanted that done in India, then God would send the Spirit directly to get it done without anyone even going there. But Carey had a saying: “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.” He went. He had many difficult times and lost his family, but he ended up printing, not preaching. He printed to Bible in the native Indian dialects that led to the conversion of thousands. His picture is on a commemorative stamp.

Once you think you know what the lord wants you to do, then be bold. Expect great things from God. Attempt great thing for God. If He closes a door, then he will open another door for you.

God bless you (and me) as we try to seek answers from the Lord. If this article doesn’t fit where you are right now, then be assured it fits someone else. Go encourage them. Let God use you to help someone who is down right now.