ADVENT DAY 18 (I Can Walk in Godly Wisdom): Unshakable Trust

When we go to the Lord in prayer, we can come before Him with a sense of expectation, and recognize that we are dependent on Him. In 2nd Kings chapter 7, we see the orchestration of the Lord in a victory for the Israelites; we pick up in verse 3:
3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?
4 If we say, 'We will enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die."
5 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.
6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses--the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!"
7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact--their tents, their horses, and their donkeys--and they fled for their lives.

These lepers went into the camp and began to acquire some of the abandoned items; but they recognize they need to tell the Israelite king, so they made their discovery known.  The resulting circumstances actually lined up with what Elisha the prophet had spoken.  We have to make sure we are not just "sitting here."  We can pray, but God may be directing us to act - we just have to act in accordance with His plan and His wisdom.  But, we should always be looking and listening for how He would lead us.

+++++

It's Day 18 of our 25-day spiritual "Advent-ure," from our 2023 Faith Radio Advent Guide, found in the center section of our Ministry Magazine. This year, we are emphasizing Scriptures that show us what Jesus has done for us through His coming to earth, living a perfect life, and becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins so that we might be forgiven. Today, we go to 1 Corinthians 1, providing the accompanying Scripture passage to the theme, "I can walk in Godly wisdom..." We can find these words:
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord."

You may have encountered a situation in which you just flat out don't know how to respond. You may have felt trapped and even hopeless and discouraged.  Fear warps and oppresses the mind. These types of scenarios provide us with an opportunity to trust God, as well as to rely on the wisdom made available to us.  James 1 reminds us that if we lack it, we can ask.  

Nayab Gill is a Pakistani teenager who experienced the miraculous power of God, who trusted God and made a daring escape, according to an article at The Christian Post.   It reported:

On May 20, 2021, Nayab Gill's employer, Saddam Hayat, a 30-year-old married father of four children, reportedly arrived at her home to "take her to work" in his vehicle.

"Saddam was a frequent visitor to our house," said Nayab. "He owned some shops in our area, one of which was rented by my father. Saddam promised to pay me a salary of 10,000 Pakistani Rupees ($34) and said the money would help my poor family to supplement its income. My father reluctantly agreed to his proposal because Saddam told him that I was like his own daughter."

Nayab was 13 at the time. But Saddam's motives were less than honorable -  actually his behavior became downright evil.  The article goes on to say:

Saddam took her to a deserted house, where he forced her to renounce her Christian faith and sign a blank paper. Nayab says that soon after being held hostage, Saddam threatened her at gunpoint that if she did not succumb to his will, he would kill her and her father.

"I screamed and cried, but no one heard me. After getting the paper forcibly signed, Saddam locked me up in a room and left," she said. "I was kept there for two days, during which I was given food only once in 24 hours."

"On the third day, Saddam came and told me that my father had registered a case of abduction against him. He told me that I would be presented before a judge, and if I did not testify that I had converted to Islam and married him of my free will, my family and I would be killed on the court's premises."

The article states, "Nayab recorded a statement in court in her abductor's favor. He was given custody of Nayab as his lawful wife in front of her helpless parents, who shed tears for their young daughter." And things got worse for Nayab as he frequently abused her. She was held captive for two years. She says: "I prayed every night, saying, 'God, please help me.' I would also pray for my family's safety. They refused to give up and kept moving through the court system for my recovery. But I was too scared to reveal the truth. Each time I was summoned in court, I would say that I was an adult and had married Saddam with my free will."

But, then a breakthrough occurred: Saddam's ex-wife filed a complaint against him and he and his brothers left the house thinking they might be arrested, but as she says, "they forgot to lock me up."  She continues: "It seemed God had answered my prayers for freedom. I discreetly left the house and started running, not even knowing where the road would lead me." She added: "I stopped at a market to catch my breath when a Muslim woman approached me. She must have sensed that something was not right. She asked me if I needed help. I told her that I did not have any money or a phone to contact my father. She took me to her house, where I was able to get in touch with my family."

Meanwhile, Nayab's family has continued to work through the courts.  But, ultimately, the Pakistani Supreme Court, which had not been particularly cooperative, dropped the case, since the family was back together.  

Two elements come to mind here: you have a young girl forced into an unthinkable situation, who continued to trust God.  And, when he provided an escape, she was wise enough to recognize it and run for freedom.  The parents, meanwhile, were doing what they could, petitioning the courts for Nayab's release.

We have been given powerful resources: prayer, of course.  We also have the direction of God's Word and the opportunity to exercise Godly wisdom.  We have to continue to trust God, but when He has provided, we have to be astute enough to recognize when He has provided what we have prayed for.

We can pray for relief, we can pray for escape from desperate situations - but sometimes God has provided the answer right there in front of us - and we have to do something!  We have to know when to wait and when to move. And, as we continue to trust the Lord and seek His face, we can make sure we are following His instructions!