From Bad to Worse

"My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!" - Psalm 25:17 NLT

The verse above from one of David’s psalms reminds me of the phrase, “out of the frying pan into the fire.” According to the dictionary, this popular idiom “is used to describe the situation of going from a bad or difficult situation to a WORSE one, often as the result of trying to ESCAPE from the bad or difficult one.”

I recently bought a new toaster for my husband, Joe, because he was constantly complaining about our old one. I read reviews for the new one online, so I was pretty confident when I made this purchase. However, when the new toaster arrived and we tested it, it turned out to be far worse than our old one. I promptly returned it, and got our money back.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of the wrong decisions we make were solved so quickly and easily? Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case when we make bad decisions. When David says – “My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!” – He’s asking God to intervene on his behalf, and to make all of his wrongs right. The Lord can – and often does – undo mistakes that we make. But there are times when He will allow us to suffer the natural consequences of our bad decisions, so that we can learn from them in ways that will help us in the future.

The best way for us to avoid unnecessary hardships and heartaches is to consult God BEFORE we make decisions. David says in this same psalm: “Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God’s circle of blessing.” (Psalm 25:12-13 TLB) This is a divine guarantee that when we seek the Lord and His will in a situation out of our deep reverence for Him, He will help us to “choose the best.”

You and I never have to go “from the frying pan into the fire.” Our problems never need to go “from bad to worse.” With God’s help, we can learn to make the right decision every time, and we can continually “live within God’s circle of blessing.” Whatever situation comes to mind when you read this today, I encourage you to pray – “Lord, help me to choose the best!”

Prayer: Lord, remind me often that because Your Spirit dwells in me, I can make decisions and choices according to Your wisdom. When I am tempted to escape a bad situation by making it worse, please stop me in my tracks and redirect my steps. Thank You for helping me to choose the best as I walk closely with You throughout each day!

- J. M. Farro

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