When I Have No Options Left

And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil." 2 Kings 4:2

Do you sometimes find yourself backed into a corner, and it seems there are no options left? Is it possible to be in a situation and every option seems to have negative consequences? What do you do when you have no options left?

When you are down to nothing, know that God is up to something. There are some situations when it seems no matter which answer you choose, all of them are the wrong answers. Do you, like me, raise your eyes to heaven to ask God what's going on? Is He trying to teach me something? Am I out of His will? Is God stretching my faith?

When I have no options left ...

One of the truths I hold in my heart is God's promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us. I become encouraged in the midst of my storm by the storms that many of the Bible characters encountered. If you read 2 Kings, chapter 4, you'll find a lady who was unable to pay her bills, and the creditors were coming to collect her sons for payment. She called upon the man of God, who, in turn, asked her what she had in the house. She stated that she had nothing but a jar of oil. The man of God told her to get her own pot as well as some from her neighbors. As she began to pour the valuable oil, she saw her small amount continue to increase. The more she poured, the stronger her faith became. So, now, I must ask myself: when I feel I have no options left, what do I have in the house?

I can relate to this woman in several ways. More than once, we have struggled to pay our bills and have had to believe God and trust Him to meet our needs. And He has.

At this time, our son is battling cancer.* It would be very human to think we have no options. And in our own strength, that would be absolutely correct. Humanly speaking, we have no options, no hope, no future. But because Jesus intercedes to the Father on our behalf, we do have an option. Our one and only option is trust. We trust that God works everything for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). We trust that He is walking every step of this dark and frightening road with us. We trust that He is omnipotent -- He has power over everything; that He is omniscient -- He knows the beginning from the end; and He is omnipresent -- He is beside us, around us, behind us and ahead of us (Ephesians 3:17-19). We need not fear. We simply trust that we are His children, and He will never leave us.

So, though He slay me, or even if He takes my son, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15).

So, today, when you think you have no options, think again. When life pushes you into a corner, trust God for a miracle. When your pain is greater than words can describe, trust the comfort of His healing hand. When your heart is breaking, listen for the whisper of His voice. He is telling you that He loves you.

*Since she originally wrote this, Connie's son has gone on to be with the Lord. You can visit her blog site at http://www.conniestevenswrites.com/ to see how the Lord continues to carry her through.

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