When “Yes” Still Leads To Failure…What Next?

It’s happened to me one time too many. How about you? Ever found yourself in full pursuit of a pathway that you were absolutely sure, beyond the shadow of a doubt, was right? That you were heading in the right direction, no questions asked? In-fact, you prayed and fasted and sought God earnestly. You heard His voice, you got confirmation after confirmation. An answer here, one over there. How could she have possibly known? Was he in my prayer closet or what? OMG, that message was dead on accurate! Signs after signs after signs, but only to arrive at that moment when it all falls apart or you arrive at a dead end, or you get hit with a curve ball, or you hit a major roadblock with what seems like no hope of recovery. Has disappointment ever brought you to your knees? Has it ever brought you to the door of absolute despair and hopelessness? Have you ever suffered a colossal failure or disappointment that recovery seemed almost impossible? Most importantly, has God ever given you the green light to proceed but disappointment or failure came just the same?

I have been disappointed to the point of being devastated. I have had those moments when I felt like I could never ever recover. I have been slapped with some things that never in a million years would I have ever imagined could have occurred. No one could have prepared me for those moments and even if someone did try, I am so sure that I would have flat out resisted. More crucial for me however, is the immense pain and loss I have had to contend with after being confronted by failure and disappointment in matters that I knew God had cosign on. I was given the green light. I had received the “go ahead” after praying and fasting, and yet, failure was the outcome.

Everything pertaining to life and godliness is contained within the pages of our manual for living; the Word of God. Answers to the most complex issues you will ever face in your life are detailed in it. You simply have to seek it out. As I mulled over this particular topic, I recalled reading an interesting narrative detailed in the book of Judges Chapter 20. It was an account of a war that occurred between the eleven (11) tribes of Israel and the 12th; the tribe of Benjamin. The war was in retaliation for an egregious act that was committed against the wife of a priest, whom a group of men had brutally molested to the point of death on a day the couple had made an overnight stop in the land of Gibeah (a tributary of Benjamin), while on their way home to the country of Ephraim. Following the death of his wife, the priest, upon returning home, divided her body into twelve pieces and distributed them throughout the entire nation of Israel. When the population got wind of this incident they were in an absolute uproar and a combined military might consisting of 400,000 men demanded of Benjamin to hand over the criminals. Benjamin refused and this response sparked the war.

Before going to war, the Bible says that the 400,000 warriors went to the house of God stationed in Bethel to inquire concerning who should advance the fight against Benjamin. God gave them clear instructions that Judah should lead the charge. Needless to say, at the end of the battle that day, 22,000 Israelites were massacred at the hands of a measly army consisting of 26,000 Benjaminites. As you can imagine, there was sheer confusion in the Israelite camp. How could God have given them the green-light to proceed and with such clear directives, yet allow them to suffer such a major defeat? They cried the whole evening in despair and once again went before God to inquire whether or not they were to return to battle against the Benjaminites. For a second time God told them to go up and fight and yet again, the second day of battle was no better than the first. This time around 18,000 soldiers died during the battle that ensued. Failure on top of failure. Disappointment on top of disappointment. Hurt on top of hurt.

As you can imagine by this time, they were absolutely devastated. Once again they went before the Lord in tears, completely broken, but this time they did something differently. They fasted and offered up sacrifices unto Him. Again they inquired of Him regarding their next course of action, whether they should return to war or simply throw in the towel and walk away for good. Again God responded that they should get back in the fight and that this time around He would be on-board to hand them the victory. Into the third day of the battle the tables were turned. The eleven tribes came out swinging utilizing a new strategy for defeating the Benjaminites and at the end of the day, only 600 of the 26,000 soldiers from Benjamin survived. God had finally vindicated the cause of the army from the eleven tribes of Israel.

When failure is your reality though the promises of God speak differently, what do you do? What should you do when you’ve gotten God’s word on a matter but disappointment is all you have experienced, sometimes perpetually? Do you dare to believe that somehow, someway, He will make it happen or do you work yourself out of faith and resort to the idea that, “maybe it wasn’t really God. Maybe it was me”? Should you simply throw in the towel and walk away or like the Israelite army, should you keep going back to God? These are questions I have had to ask myself on many occasions. The truth is, it takes courage to keep on believing. It takes courage to believe again and again and again, despite the reality. The men of Israel could have walked away the first time and if not the first, then the second. They could have accused God of lying to them. Instead, they kept coming back to inquire.

It would be remiss of me not to point out the fact that the Israelites’ posture changed the third time around. Not only did they inquire of God as before, but this time they spent time fasting, earnestly seeking God’s face. They went a step further to even offer a sacrifice to Him. Is it at all possible that there is something more that God is requiring of you, something that might demand a sacrifice on your part, if you are to come into the promise or promises He has for you? Have you asked Him what that could be and are you willing to do what you need to do? Maybe like the Israelites, you are in need of a new strategy. A different approach for addressing the same issue you are being confronted by or that you are confronting. New strategies come through revelation from the Holy Spirit. Have you been engaging Him in your process? Greater than this, can you even begin to engage Him? Your manual for living clearly states that the natural man cannot begin to comprehend the things of the Spirit since what the Spirit reveals will only be perceived as foolishness to him. If you are to receive and understand the ways and insights of the Holy Spirit, you must first get into a right and authentic relationship with your Manufacturer, The Lord God, through His Son Christ Jesus. Only then can you receive the inner residence, workings and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

If you have been or are currently faced with failure or disappointment, even when you were given the solid green-light to proceed, here are somethings you might want to consider: Maybe there is something more that God is requiring or even demanding of you. Maybe failure and disappointment are apart of the process itself, apart of your journey. Maybe God is wanting to prove what is in your heart. Maybe God is wanting to bring you to a place of complete understanding that if it is not Him, your ability to secure the victory is null and void. Maybe God is wanting to ensure that the praise and glory will be directed to Him and Him alone when you finally get there. Maybe He wants you to rely on Him even more. When God is involved, failure and disappointment could come as a result of any number of reasons. The only way you are going to know what do to next after the decision to move on a confirmatory “yes” lead to failure, is to go back to your Source. Go back to God. And, no matter what happens, never, ever give up! (Reference, Judges 19 & 20)