God’s Way Out: One Way Out

God’s Way Out: One Way Out

God’s Way Out: Learning to Surrender When Life Gets Difficult

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you simply couldn’t see a way out? Perhaps you’ve faced a difficult diagnosis, a broken relationship, a financial crisis, or a season of life that left you feeling trapped and alone. In those moments, it’s easy to become consumed with one question: Why is this happening to me?

In this message, I want us to consider a different question: What if, instead of focusing on why we’re in this situation, we began trusting the God who knows the way through it? The truth is that God’s way out isn’t always what we expect, and it doesn’t always come as quickly as we’d like. But we can trust that He is with us, even in the darkest places.

1. Sometimes the Place That Feels Like a Prison Is Part of God’s Plan

In Genesis 39:19–23, we find Joseph wrongfully accused and thrown into prison. After everything he had already experienced—being rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife—it must have seemed as though his life was going from bad to worse.

Yet there’s an important word in this passage: but.

“But the Lord was with Joseph.”

Joseph’s imprisonment wasn’t the end of his story. In fact, it became part of the journey that would eventually lead him to the position God had prepared for him. While Joseph couldn’t see the bigger picture, God was still working.

I’ve shared a personal story before about getting lost in the woods while hunting with a young teenager. As darkness approached, I realized I had no idea where we were or how to get back. I called Scott for help, and he eventually fired several shots so I could hear which direction to walk. What struck me afterward was that I had been only about fifteen yards from the path. I was so focused on my surroundings and circumstances that I had missed the direction I needed to follow.

Sometimes we do the same thing with God. We become so overwhelmed by what’s happening around us that we struggle to hear and trust the One who knows the way.

God’s way out begins with recognizing that He is still present, even when we cannot see where He’s leading us.

2. Stop Asking Why and Start Trusting God

It’s natural to ask God why when life becomes difficult. I know I’ve done it myself. As I shared about some of my own health struggles, I remembered walking back and forth, asking God over and over again, “Why me?”

It took some wise words from my mother-in-law to challenge my thinking. She reminded me that it was time to give up on my why and start trusting that God would see me through.

That doesn’t mean our questions and struggles don’t matter. It means we must be careful not to become so consumed by our circumstances that we lose sight of God’s faithfulness.

God is often more concerned about our character than our accomplishments. As we considered Joseph’s life, we saw that God was working on his who before bringing him into his what. Before Joseph would become second in command over Egypt, God was developing the character and trustworthiness he would need for that calling.

Galatians 4:4–7 reminds us that God works according to the fullness of His timing. We may want immediate answers, but God is not working according to our microwave expectations.

I’ve shared the picture of three different ways of cooking: the slow cooker, the pressure cooker, and the microwave. God often works through the slow cooker. Sometimes He allows us to experience the pressure cooker. But we shouldn’t expect everything to happen in an instant.

The difficult seasons of life can become God’s training ground, strengthening our character and deepening our relationship with Him. God’s way out may take longer than we want, but we can trust His timing and His purpose.

3. Jesus Is the Only Way Out

Ultimately, the greatest prison we face isn’t a difficult circumstance, a health diagnosis, or a failing relationship. It’s the prison of sin. And it’s one we cannot escape through our own goodness, effort, or self-reliance.

That’s why surrender is so important.

Throughout Scripture, we see people who reached moments when they had nowhere else to turn. Moses stood before the Red Sea. David faced Goliath. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the fiery furnace. Jonah ran from God’s calling and eventually found himself in the belly of a great fish. In each of these situations, the answer wasn’t found in human strength but in turning to God.

And then we come to Jesus.

In John 14:6, Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus didn’t simply come to show us a way out. He is the way out.

Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus accomplished what we could never accomplish for ourselves. He took the punishment for our sin and made a way for us to be reconciled to God. His grace is enough. His love is enough. He is enough if we will allow Him to be enough.

A Final Invitation: Surrender and Trust

As we approach the communion table, we’re reminded that our freedom came at an incredible price. The bread represents Christ’s broken body, and the cup represents His shed blood. Jesus has already won the victory over sin and death.

Whatever prison you may feel trapped in today, whatever dark valley you’re walking through, I want to encourage you to stop trying to find your own way out. Stop allowing the questions, the fear, and the circumstances to consume you.

Instead, surrender those things to Jesus.

You may not understand why you’re walking through this season. You may not know how long it will last. But you can know that God is with you, that His timing is good, and that His grace is sufficient.

When you cannot see a way out, remember that God’s way out is found in surrendering to the One who has already overcome. Jesus is our one way out.