Charles F. Stanley - How to Let God Solve Your Problems: 12 Keys for Finding Clear Guidance in Life’s Trials

HOW TO LET GOD
SOLVE YOUR
PROBLEMS

12 KEYS TO A DIVINE SOLUTION

OTHER BOOKS BY DR. CHARLES F. STANLEY

The Blessings of Brokenness

The Gift of Forgiveness

God Has an Answer for Our Unmet Needs

Handle with Prayer

How to Handle Adversity

Landmines in the Path of the Believer

When the Enemy Strikes

Winning the War Within

HOW TO LET GOD
SOLVE YOUR
PROBLEMS

12 KEYS TO A DIVINE SOLUTION

DR. CHARLES F. STANLEY

2008 by Great Commission Media

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Stanley, Charles F.
How to let God solve your problems : 12 keys to a divine solution / Charles F. Stanley.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4002-0095-5
1. Problem solvingReligious aspects--Christianity.
2. GodChristianity. I. Title.
BV4599.5.P75S73 2008
248.8'6--dc22

2008003397

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:12NIV

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION Can Good Come Out of
This Situation?

INTRODUCTION
Can Good Come Out
of This Situation?

In times of great difficulty, people often wonder how they will be able to continue. The pain may seem too great for them to handle or the sorrow too deep. They often ask, Will anything good come out of this tragedy? When God is involved, the answer is always yes!

However, it may take timein some cases, yearsbefore you realize Gods providential hand is always at work in your life. When you do, you also will come to know that you were never alone, forgotten, or abandoned. At every turn, Jesus was beside you.

David writes, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me (Ps. 23:4). There is only one way to face adversity, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ. Either you can struggle against lifes difficulties, or you can turn them over to the Lord and ask Him to give you the wisdom and strength you need to handle each one. When you commit your life to Him, He will take care of all that concerns you. That is His promise. David writes, The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lov-ingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands (Ps. 138:8).

In Philippians, the apostle Paul reminds us that there is no limitation to the accomplishments we can achieve if our hearts are set on Christ. He writes, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (4:13). With these words, Paul reveals the secret to dealing with lifes hard-to-handle challenges. It is dependencydependency on a sovereign, omnipotent God, who loves us with an everlasting love. Over his lifetime, the problems and trials Paul faced were anything but light. In fact, he tells us in 2 Corinthians,

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. [Forty lashes was a sentence of sure death.] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weak-x ness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (11:2431)

From a human perspective, Paul should have been dead, but he was alive to do the will of God. He writes, For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us (2 Cor. 7:56). When you face sorrow, heartbreak, and disappointment of any kind, He will do the same for you. He will comfort you so that you will not grow weary (Isa. 40:31). He will teach you how to trust Him to a greater degree, and He also will show you how to comfort others who are hurting and facing tremendous trials (2 Cor. 1:47). The problem that you are struggling with today may be one that has lingered for a long timeso long, in fact, you may wonder if it will ever be resolved and if life will return to being normal. But adversity, like nothing else, has the ability to bring about solid, constructive change in your life. When you allow God to bear your burdens, this change will result in a closer fellowship with Him.

As you read through this book, I want to challenge you to alter the way you view lifes problems and trials. Instead of cowering in fear when difficulties come, step out in faith and trust God to deal with your circumstances. Without a doubt, He will teach you to face lifes problems the way Joseph, Elijah, Moses, Paul, and Peter didby staying the course, fighting the good fight of faith, and developing a new attitude toward the problems of life. In fact, when it comes to adversity, God always has a greater plan in mind.

It is my prayer that you will come to know the love of the Savior in a much deeper way. Then when life does become dark and stormy, you will immediately know to turn to God in prayer, trusting Him to care for you. You will watch in amazement as He works on your behalf. Therefore, believe, pray, and know that if adversity touches your life, God is at work, and He will bring you through this season of difficulty victoriously!

CHAPTER 1
No Problem Too Great

Nothing was gentle or kind about Hurricane Katrina. What began as a small tropical storm on August 24, 2005, quickly became a category one hurricane as it passed just north of Key West, Florida. At the time, no one would have thought that in less than four days, this storm would turn into a raging category five hurricane with wind speeds surpassing 170 mph, but this is exactly what it did.

After frightening residents of Key West and chasing tourists away from the southernmost point of the United States, the storm turned northward and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico where warmer-than-normal water temperatures fueled its growing fury. Two days later, weather forecasters were stunned by the satellite images they were receiving detailing the storms track. At one point the hurricane, along with its outer rain bands, completely filled the Gulf of Mexico. Even more frightening was the fact that the hurricane had trained its eye on the coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, and the western third of Alabama.