Do good for those you love

Joab was surrounded. The army before him was overwhelming. Behind him was one of a similar scale (1 Chronicles 19:10 -- 15.) His response offers some actions to emulate when we, like him, do not see any solutions to our problems.

First, he tells his brother and those with them to "be strong." When you act strong, you feel strong. When you embrace the posture of defeat, you will be defeated. Attitude alone will not solve the issue. But if your attitude is not one of strength, it will certainly be one of defeat. Your actions will always follow your attitude.

Second, he outlines a simple strategy; "Let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God." In other words, let us do well for the people and places we love.

When you feel that there are no solutions to the problems that overwhelm you, the best action is to do good for the people and the place you love. So you do what you can, for who you can, as long as you can. Five minutes of action can carry more weight than a five-year strategic plan.

Finally, they trusted in the hand of the Lord. Joab resolves, "May the Lord do what seems good to him." Before Joab sent out this instruction to be strong and do well for people and places, he had already looked up in faith to the Lord. Joab did not make a plan and ask for God's blessing. He submitted the desperate situation in faith to the Lord.

"May the Lord do what seems good to him." Joab's declaration was not fatalistic nor an assurance of success. He, however, resolved that whatever happened next would be the good the Lord deemed in the situation.

You don't have faith if you possess the solution absent from the Lord. Great faith is confidence in the Lord, not only when you don't know the answers but when you are not even sure you are asking the right questions.

Faith is an unshakable conviction that despite your success or failure, fame or a life of obscurity, the Lord will do what he deems good.

Similar to how the enemy surrounded Joab, your problems may feel like they are engulfing you. Joab's counsel was to be faithful to the Lord, his people, and his places. Then watch. Watch and see what God might do. Simple counsel, yet it is not.