A Medicine For All Kinds Of Situations -By Joe Dauda

Like most people, I’m immediately suspicious of herbal remedies that claim to be effective in treating virtually every sickness on earth. Although I find herbs agreeable, I will generally avoid any herb that is supposedly a cure for tooth ache, malaria, eye defects, cancer, whooping cough, and even diarrhea. But this is not true in the arena of the spirit. There is indeed a medicine for any and all situations, spiritually speaking.

To my mind, the most difficult situation to deal with in life is regret. This is because the deed has been done (like aborting a baby or losing an opportunity to do something important) and that deed cannot be undone. The only thing left is to live with the aftermath of the decision. The pain of regret could be so intense that, if left unresolved, it can result in suicide. I’m willing to believe that a good number of suicides can be traced to serious cases of unresolved regrets.

My point is that even regret has a solution.

The solution to any situation in life that requires handling is to put your trust in God. I trust my readers to understand that, when your favourite meal is on the table, and the air conditioner is blasting, and there is pure orange juice by the side — and NEPA is generally in a good mood — trusting God is not the main issue at that time, all things being equal. But there are times when you need help: like when a high ranking police officer in a third world country is out to get you; like when you discover that the person that cheated you in a very important business deal for which you got yourself indebted, is a relative of the Speaker of The House Of Representatives; like when you still feel sick — after faithfully taking all the medication prescribed for you by the most trusted doctor you can afford; like when the landlord has issued you his very last warning and is on his way to humiliate you; like when your country is patently unsafe and traveling is as risky as playing Russian Roulette; like when someone you care about is in pain and you cannot help; like when you have tried your best and it seems not to be enough. The answer to all of the above can begin with trusting God, even if you are responsible for the situation. But regret is a situation in a class of its own.

Dealing with regret is tough for several reasons. But because of His omniscience, God is able to turn your bad decisions into assets. The greatest proof of this in the Bible is the story of David. This well favored man was the second king of Israel and he had many wives. God never blinked or remonstrated with David over this. But David crossed the line one day and had another man’s wife, provoking God to great anger, especially because, to hide the evidence, he eliminated the man. When the matter was eventually resolved, David had a situation that called for deep regret. He had killed a man and had already impregnated the man’s wife. How was this intractable situation to be dealt with?

Think about that for a moment.

I guess David trusted God because, even after the child born as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba died, he praised God rather than accuse God. And there is evidence that David wanted children; or, that he desperately wanted that child to survive after God had struck the child with sickness. That evidence is that David went into a fast and kept at it for seven whole days. A 7-day dry fast is serious business for those who know what a dry fast feels like. This was seven days without food and water and David went through that in order to placate God in the hope that God would save his child, born as a result of his adultery with Bathsheba.

The child died and David had no option than to marry Bathsheba, who had become a widow. When Bathsheba had her second child with David, God had forgiven David to such an extent that He named the child. It was more like a pet name.

Think about that for a moment.

After committing the most heinous crime one could possibly commit against his neighbour, the King of the universe gave a pet name to the second child born out of this union enacted in sin. I will admit that this is one of the amazing stories in the Bible and no one can claim to fully understand the ways of God in this case. But He makes “all things” work together for good and this ability is important in resolving the most challenging situation in human existence, namely dealing with regret. I must make haste to point out that, although David was forgiven for his nefarious wickedness, God severely dealt with him later on. Interested readers can get all the details in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12 and onwards.

To add to the mystery of this story, God chose that child he named — Bathsheba’s second — to succeed David and reign as the third king of Israel. That child was Solomon.

Do you have regrets?

Even serious regrets?

No need to deny the unwise decisions that led to your regret. But, no matter the situation, you can still choose to trust God. And I urge you to trust Him. Trusting God is not a lazy option because, rightly understood, trusting God frees you to do your very best so that you can honestly leave the rest (and the outcome) to God.

So trust God — no matter what the issue is and even if you are the cause of the bad situation. Just trust Him. His wisdom is infinite and He knows everything. Plus, He loves you.

If my opinion means anything to you, I humbly and truthfully declare to you that God has never failed me. He does not always do what I want; but He has never failed me, regardless of the fact that I have failed Him several times.

Trust God.

But if you think that trusting God is not a good idea, please share your ideas with me for viable alternatives. I’m eager to learn.

May God have mercy on all of us.