WITS' END

Scripture:  Psalms 107:27  "Ships in great waters reel to and fro .... and are at their wits' end."

Like the ships in great waters, there are problems and situations in our lives that bring us to our wits' end.  We do all that we know to do, but our resources are limited and insufficient to deliver us from the storm or to spare us from the difficulty that we are facing.  Just like the mariner, it seems that our ship mounts up to the heavens on the high waves, and then descends into the depths of the ocean.  Our lives are tossed to and fro and our souls melt because of the trouble that we are in.  We can no longer navigate the ship and like the seaman our wisdom is to no avail.  There is no time to think because of the turmoil of the restless sea that surrounds us.

Yet with God all things are possible if we look to Him for the help that we need.  Verse twenty-eight tells us what to do when we are at our wits' end.  It says, "Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble."  When we begin to cry out for help, God will calm the storm, cause the waves to be still, and bring us into a safe haven.  There are examples throughout the scriptures of people who were at the end of themselves and their situations, but God intervened with His plan.  Following are four examples for your own life.

You may have come to your wit's end regarding your finances.  The widow in I Kings 17 had come to the end of her provision in a great time of famine.  She planned to make a cake for herself and her son and then just die.  But the prophet came with God's plan and challenged her to give.  As she gave and met the prophet's need, God met her needs and sustained her through the famine.  So be obedient to the Lord's request and He will sustain you.

You may be facing a serious health issue.  The woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years in Matthew 9:20-22 had spent all that she had on the physicians and had not become better, but grew worse.  She was at the end of her finances and health.  But in her desperation, she put her faith into action, pushed through the crowds and reached out to Jesus, and was healed.  So when you are at the end of your health, reach out in faith to the Lord for your healing.

Your relationships with others may be at their wit's end.  The prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 had abused his relationship with his father, squandered all of his inheritance, and eventually found himself eating the swine's food.  He was at the end of his own devices, but when he finally came to himself, he returned to his father and repented.  As he cried out to his father, his father responded in love and restored him.  For since the day the son had left, the father had been waiting for his son's return.  Remember that your friends and family are waiting for reconciliation so be the first to return and reach out in love.

You may be at the end and ready to give up on ministry.  Joseph in Genesis 37-47 was treated unjustly many times, lied about, and rejected by his brothers.  Even the chief butler and baker forgot about Joseph when they were released from the prison.  Many times Joseph must have come to his wit's end, thinking that the dreams and visions that God had given him had no chance of ever coming to pass.  However, God fulfilled the dream and in one day's time Joseph was raised from the prison to the palace, and from obscurity to fame.  Continue in faith and you will reach your God ordained destiny.

Just like these examples, God is always there when you come to your wit's end and will rescue you when you turn to Him for help.  When your desperation brings you to this place, you will find that God is there and you will discover that He is smarter than you are.  When you come to the end of yourself and put your complete trust in Him, you are at the beginning of God and at the edge of the miracle that He has planned for you. +++