When There Are No Good Options

Some days, I wake up, look at the choices in front of me, and think:
“There are no good options here.”

Have you ever felt that way? Faced with decisions that range from unpleasant, to bad, to worse?

Thankfully, those kinds of situations are rare—but they do come. For me, and probably for you too.

When I feel boxed in like that, I remember an old saying:

“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

It sounds simple, even cliché—but there’s truth in it. God often calls us to patience while He works out the details of our lives.

When I Wanted to Give Up

I remember a time when I accepted a ministry position that felt like walking into a storm.
There was no money. Bills were piling up. The people were discouraged. And confidence in my leadership was practically nonexistent.

For a while, I flailed like an animal caught in a trap. Every morning, I dreaded the day ahead. The temptation to walk away was constant.

But in my heart, I knew God had called me there. So I stayed. And waited. And waited.

Eventually, He began to work—in me and around me.
He opened new doors.
He provided resources.
And He taught me another deep lesson in faith.

“Help Us… If You Can.”

There’s a powerful story in the Gospel of Mark about a father in crisis.

His son was suffering from violent seizures. He brings the boy to Jesus’ disciples—but they can’t help him.

When Jesus arrives, He’s clearly frustrated with the disciples’ lack of faith. Then He says:

“Bring the boy to me.” (Mark 9:19, NLT)

The father pleads:

“The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”
(Mark 9:22, NLT)

Jesus replies:

“‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
(Mark 9:23, NLT)

Why the Delay?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t just heal the boy immediately?

Why draw it out? The text doesn’t give us a direct answer.

But I think many of us can relate to the father in that moment. I imagine him thinking:
“Please—just fix this now!”

Instead, Jesus gives him a choice. Will he walk away, offended and disappointed? Or will he hold on and trust?

The father’s reply is one of the most honest and beautiful prayers in all of Scripture:

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
(Mark 9:24, NLT)

Faith Is Not the Absence of Doubt

I’ve prayed that same prayer—many times.

“Lord, help me hang on—through the storms, through the fear, through the doubts.”

Faith isn’t the absence of doubt.
It’s the choice to trust God in spite of doubt.

Even Abraham, the so-called “father of the faithful,” had moments of wavering. He made impulsive decisions when faith faltered.

But over the course of his life, we see a man who remained committed to God’s purposes.

Abraham Held On Too

Here’s how the writer of Hebrews describes Abraham’s journey:

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going…”
(Hebrews 11:8, NLT)

He left everything familiar—without a clear destination.
He waited years for a promised son.
And even then, he lived in tents—temporary housing—while still trusting God.

Do you think he ever doubted?
The Bible says he did.

So how can we still call him “faithful”?

Because in the middle of his doubt, he tied a knot in the rope and held on.

Hang On

If you're struggling today, hang on.

Here’s a word from the Word.
Let it strengthen your heart as you pray:

“Lord, I believe. Help me with my doubts.”

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”
(Hebrews 10:35–36, NLT)

“For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And My righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”
(Hebrews 10:37–38, NLT)

Final Thought

Whatever you’re facing today—no matter how dark or uncertain—it’s not the end of your story.
Tie a knot. Hang on. And trust the One who holds the rope.

 

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When Life Hurts: Choosing Submission Over Self

Ever wonder what God is doing in your life? Ever complain bitterly about a situation that causes you discomfort? Me too!

Before I go further, I must acknowledge the blessings in my life: a relatively healthy body for a 70-year-old man, a comfortable home, resources that more than meet my needs, children who are wonderful people living good and worthy lives, and friends who enrich my days in countless ways. The list could go on.

But those blessings aren’t the whole story. I have known great sorrow, terrible disappointment, and real failure. Within just a few years, I lost both my parents and my wife to cancer, watching their bodies slowly destroyed. Some friendships have faltered, lost to reasons only God knows. I wrestle with questions about my part in those failures. I have seen people who were under my pastoral care for years slip away from faith and have wept over their choices, again feeling the weight of questions about my effectiveness as a minister of the Gospel.

Joy and Sorrow

To know both joy and sorrow is to be human. Over the years, I’ve walked alongside amazing Christians who were greatly blessed and yet broken by divorce, rejection, or sickness. Some emerged from those seasons with a deeper faith and sweeter spirit. Others became angry and cynical—still clinging to faith, but barely.

So, what makes the difference? I’m sure many factors are at play, but one key element is something most of us avoid as long as possible—submission.

Choice

We must choose between God—the Lord of Heaven—or self. Will I, like Job of old, “put my hand over my mouth” and worship a God whose ways are beyond my understanding? Or will I kick and scream, insisting He do what I desire?

Such submission grows in the fertile soil of eternity’s hope. Inspired by the Spirit, Paul teaches: “Our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18, NLT)

Suffering is Common
We suffer because this world bears the mark of sin’s curse—wars rage, disease strikes, relationships break, and injustice prevails. People lie and cheat. Terrorists destroy. Companies value profit over people.

Even Christians of great faith often face deep pain and sorrow. What can we do? We can trust God while we weep and wait on Him, or we can rage against the world and decide He is unjust and unfair.

You don’t have to be a “super-saint” to choose faith. We have an Advocate on whom we can lean: “The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (Romans 8:26, NLT)

Some of the best prayers in the world are sobs, groans, and tears of submission to God’s will.

The Word assures us—no situation in our life is wasted or meaningless! Paul, writing from prison, says:  “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you.” (Colossians 1) That’s not foolishness. That’s faith that looks beyond what human eyes can see.

So, are you struggling today? Are you suffering in a way you can’t understand?

Yes, weep—grief is not a sign of weak faith.
Yes, pray—God invites us to ask for relief.

Let no one dismiss your pain as pointless.
Let no one tell you that you alone are the cause of your suffering.

Give the Devil no place when he accuses your Heavenly Father of failing you.

Instead, find a quiet place and make this prayer your own: “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!” (Mark 9:24, NLT)

Amen.

___________

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