What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Isaiah 59:16-17,19-21, Ephesians 6:10-14a, 18

Eph.6:11 stand against the wiles = scheming, strategies, the deceits and tricks.
12 The evil one wants me to focus people / the individual as the problem. BUT!
13 Therefore = because of this … …. having done all that you can do, - in order to stand, stand by putting on the armor of God. Ver.14-17.

Isa. 59
1-8 Talks about Conviction of sin. 9-15 Is about Confession of Sin. (Rom.10:9)
16-19 God’s answer - Jesus, Our Redeemer 20-21 God’s Covenant
In ver.15a, God saw what was going on - truth has disappeared, and those who turn from evil become the next victim.

15b-16 So God answered man’s problem by sending Jesus our Redeemer.
NIV – ver.16 He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm worked salvation for him, and His own righteousness sustained him.

Ver.19 When you understand how our Bible came to us, and the differences between Hebrew and English, this verse can take on a WHOLE DIFFERENT understanding.

Know that the punctuation that is in your bible is not in the Hebrew text.
That means that the comma right after the word flood has been inserted by those translating it from Hebrew to English.

So, it could read – “…when the enemy comes in, like a flood the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” The Lord is doing the flooding, not the enemy.

The NIV & NASB doesn’t even talk about the enemy. The evil one is not the focus, GOD IS!

NIV – “For HE will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.”

NASB - For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives.

My favorite - in the sub-notes of the Passion Translation - “When the enemy comes in, the Spirit of Yahweh, like a flood, will lift up a standard against him.”

Could it be that the flood mentioned here is talking about the Blood of Jesus that just as a natural flood changes the land it flows over, the Blood of Jesus changes whatever it touches.

Look at the covenant God put into play Ver.21

When you don’t know what to do, recognize the operation – the strategies and deceits - of the enemy to blind your eyes of faith that God’s got this.
The evil one wants to emphasize the hopelessness of your situation – nothing is changing – all this good God stuff is not working.

Get into the Word of God that emphasizes His presence and activity.
I have to know that He is more active and involved than I want Him to be.

He is doing WAY more than I can see or imagine.

Eph.6:18 “Pray in the Spirit”!

Last week there are current situations that my heart was overwhelmed with, and when I came to the end of what words to use to pray for, I prayed in tongues – prayed in the Spirit.

That term can mean different things to different people.

There is room for different understandings, as long as I don’t harbor “prideful arrogance in my profound knowledge.”

In 1Cor.14:14-15 “praying in the Spirit” is talking about praying in Tongues.

But the main emphasis is for me to turn my attention while praying to the Holy Spirit.

For me, when I pray in tongues, there is something about that activity that aligns my heart, mind, and spirit with the Holy Spirit.

It’s my go to thing that lets me tap into His understanding, it causes my understanding to step back and practice “sensitivity” to the Holy Spirit.
I believe in part this is what Heb 5:14 is talking about - “… by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Song - “In Jesus’ Name” – Katy Nichole

Pray this: Eph 1:17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; …. (that you may know) what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…”

We pray for every person who is battling against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph.6:12) that they would focus on You and Your promise of HOPE!