The other day I was driving down the road and noticed a fly buzzing around in the car with me. Have you ever watched a fly trying to escape a car? Put down the window where they have landed and they fly off. They bounce from door to door and window to window and yet cannot find their way out of the vehicle.

The window is open, but they are so busy trying to find a way to escape, that they don’t notice that the way has been provided for them.

How often are we like that? How often do we get so caught up in trying to figure a way out of the circumstances we are in, the problem we are facing or the situation we have found ourselves in that we are blind to the obvious way out? We overlook the open window.

1st Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that God provides a way out: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Maybe when we are flying around in the circumstances, challenges, situations or events that we find ourselves in and trying to find a way out, it may be time to stop and take a look around and see the window that God has opened already for us.

When we focus our energy on our troubles and concerns, we are focusing our attention on ourselves. In turn, we look for or focus on only the solutions we can come up with on our own. It is admirable to try and handle your own issues and troubles and it is commendable to arrive at conclusions or solutions for what you are facing, however, you may be working harder at it than you need to be.

We may spend too much time and energy focusing on what we know, what we think, the ideas and answers that we come up with then we need to. Perhaps the window is already down and we just need to stop long enough to look for the way out that God has provided.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Instead of flapping our wings harder, bouncing from wall to wall, clambering to find the way out of what we have found ourselves in, perhaps we need to “be still” and wait patiently on the Lord. Stop and look around. See what we can learn from what we are facing. See what lesson God has for us in the trials that we may be in. And as we “still” our hearts and minds, we may just notice that God has indeed provided us the way out.

Be still and know that He is God and He will provide a way out of what you are facing.

BARRY Vassar is pastor of Fitzgerald Memorial Baptist Church in Cumberland. His email address is dwynvassar@yahoo.com.