Problems are not obstacles to be evaded or removed before one can serve; they are gifts to be used now. It is easy to say that the circumstances of life keep us from doing incredible things, but the better course is to stop jumping through hoops to escape problems or waiting for a better future, and to start using them, because they may be some of the biggest gifts ever given. Whatever one's condition, whether youth or old age, health or sickness, triumph or tragedy, God expects His people to live in the moment and do what He wants now, from their place in the body of Christ. A better day may never come, and a worse one may leave no capacity to act. The woman who anointed Jesus did what she could with what she had, and the sinful woman who gave everything in humble gratitude received forgiveness and peace. The right response is to lay out everything one has, pain and blessing alike, and ask what can be made of it. When trials strip away the ability to serve, as with John the Baptist in prison, the answer is to bring doubts to Christ and keep focus on His promise never to forsake faithful servants. Christ values faithful service already rendered, and in weakness His clear light does not diminish. God accomplishes in His servants exactly what He wants, so the young must use their vigor with courage, remembering their Creator, and everyone should persevere, knowing that as they decrease, they increase with Christ.

Wisdom is not the answer to every circumstance in life, and expecting it to be is a mistake. Some events lie completely beyond individual control, however much spiritual understanding, godly wisdom, and character a person has. Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the faithful of Hebrews 11 had great wisdom, yet it did not spare them hardship or martyrdom, because God opened the door to their trials to test their faith or to make a witness to others. God rules and God overrules, and He can simply void a wise course so that it does not work. Solomon admits that no one, however wise, can find out the work of God under the sun (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17; 3:11), and the paradox of keeping the commandments and still suffering trouble (7:15) has no human answer. In such situations the wise response is to trust God, as the psalmist of Psalm 73 found only when he threw his faith completely on God. Room must be made in our thinking for God to force the issue of living by faith, since sometimes the only answers available are those God gives personally. Daniel, facing Nebuchadnezzar's deadly demand, went to God and received the answer. Wisdom is built on knowledge of God, understanding that knowledge, and acting on it. Where wisdom works, it transforms a person's mind and even appearance, as it did for Daniel. Where it does not, reacting rightly by trusting God is itself wisdom.

God is creating problem-solvers, not problem-continuers, so healing is no different from any other problem of life: God's promise does not relieve us of doing whatever we can. Israel had to walk to the Promised Land and follow Moses through the Red Sea, and the spiritual works of preparing for the Kingdom are likewise real labor done in trust. The approach has three steps. First seek God, asking His mercy, guidance, and providence. Second, begin working on the solution, seeking wise counsel from God's Word and from people of experience, including physicians, since Scripture treats balm, fig poultices, and physicians as legitimate means. Jeremiah and Jesus both use the physician as a parallel to spiritual healing, which shows that using medicine is not a lack of faith. Third, seek spiritual and physical repentance and change to stop adding to the problem, because sin underlies nearly all sickness. Doing nothing to heal oneself is like suicide. Yet nothing may replace God: Asa and Ahaziah left Him out, and human physicians are limited, sometimes of no value, so the buyer must beware and gather a multitude of counselors. Faith and patience are active, not passive. Obedience requires work, and self-examination, counsel, and repentance are part of dressing and keeping and of becoming like God.

Creation is subjected to frailty and futility, not by its own fault, but by the will of Him Who designed it so, with the hope that it will eventually be set free from decay and corruption into the glorious freedom of God's children. Everywhere, this law of futility manifests in daily struggles: weeds in gardens, physical soreness, and the inability to master skills or alter even minor physical traits by sheer will. In spiritual matters, the same principle applies; human effort alone cannot overcome sin's curses or achieve godliness. Relying on personal strength to resolve spiritual problems is a losing strategy, as human will cannot change even the smallest reality, let alone a spiritual one. When faced with problems beyond our capacity, logic dictates seeking help from those equipped to solve them. In spiritual dilemmas, only Jesus Christ, the Savior, can supply what is lacking. The impossible tasks—parting seas, bringing down walls, or upholding all things—are beyond human power, but absolute faith in Christ provides the strength to confront any obstacle and conform to His will. Scripture demonstrates His unmatched power and capability in countless examples, emphasizing that He alone is God, and no other power should be sought for aid. Trust in Christ ensures that trials are worked out for good, even if the outcome is not immediately visible, sustaining hope through every challenge, even unto death.