Seeking God Before You Try to Save the Day - iBeleive Truth: A Devotional for Women - July 25, 2026

Audio By Carbonatix

How many “fixers” do we have out there? I’m raising my hand right along with you. I tend to be someone who, when presented with another’s problem, starts computing all of the ways I can solve it for them. Or, worse yet, lately I’ve been going to Google’s AI to ask what the best way is to approach a sticky situation. Our intentions are good, but our methods are faulty…

Joshua knew a little about this when he dealt with the Gibeonites, who set out to deceive him and the Israelites by donning worn clothes and shoes to make it seem like they were in great need of their help and protection. “So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.” Joshua 9:14 The Israelites did not seek the Lord when dealing with the Gibeonites. After all, they were trying to offer them help, right? I’m sure they thought, certainly, this isn’t something we have to ask the Lord about. We are doing the right thing.

In the end, “helping” them contributed to the Gibeonites being cursed for their deception. “Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land? Now therefore, you are cursed, and you will never cease to be slaves, both gatherers of firewood and laborers to draw water for the house of my God.” Joshua 9:22-23

Here we learn from Joshua the importance of seeking God in ALL things, even when it seems like a no-brainer to help someone in need, because we may actually be worsening their situation with our well-meaning advice. Remember the story of Job. A majority of his friends gave him advice that, in the end, wasn’t good at all.

"Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." - Proverbs 3:6

Let’s take a look at how we can avoid making the same mistake that Joshua and the Israelites made.

When Good Intentions Block God’s Plan

"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." - Proverbs 14:12

Having spent some time in the Old Testament recently, I’ve been struck by the fact that even after the Israelites reached the Promised Land, they still had to go to war to remove the inhabitants the Lord wanted removed. Their rest did not come immediately. The Lord constantly reminded them to be of good courage and that He would be with them in those battles, fighting for them, but there still was a battle.

Sometimes it’s important to fight a “battle” to reap the greatest reward. Think of a butterfly struggling inside their cocoon as they start to make their way out. If we were to help them along, we would be signing their death sentence. Butterflies need that struggle to strengthen their wings. Once they fight their way out of the cocoon, their wings are strong, and they are able to fly high. If they didn’t have that strength, they would perish on the ground.

Of course, none of us wants to see another suffer, and neither does God, BUT with the Lord, every trial a person goes through is redeemed in one way or another. God’s plan for a person might look completely different than the quick fix we want to provide.

This doesn’t mean we should never help another or not try to lighten their load. It simply means we need to have discernment before coming alongside a person with our good intentions. It truly could be the difference between eternal life and death. Sometimes a person needs to hit rock bottom before they cry out to the Lord for salvation. If they are constantly being rescued from whatever consequences they are in, they will never see their need for THE Savior and instead look to you as their savior.

The next time you find yourself in a situation like this, ask God for discernment on how He would have you intervene, if at all, in the circumstance. 

“God gives wisdom generously to those who ask.”- James 1:5

Ask the Father before You Jump In

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” - Proverbs 3:5

Human nature tends to urge us to jump in and help someone. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, BUT we are “leaning on our own understanding” if we dive in quickly before knowing how “deep the water is”. Only the Lord knows why He sent a specific trial to a person and how He is going to use that circumstance in their life. The great theologian, Charles Spurgeon, said, "It would be a very sharp and trying experience for me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by his hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by his arrangement of their weight and quantity.”

It is important to trust the Lord with another’s difficulty. If we jump in without even thinking, the “water could be very shallow,” and now we’ve made things worse. Sometimes our understanding is more a result of our selfish desires for the person than of what is best for them. This is especially true when our children are suffering. Even our Heavenly Father sent the Son to suffer and die on a cross. His specific will in that situation was to bring us eternal life.

We can’t possibly know the mind of God in someone else’s hardship. Rather than jumping in to help, we must pray to the Father and ask how we should come alongside that person. Allow the Lord to guide your actions. You might be surprised by how He answers. It might simply be to pray for that person behind the scenes. Or, the Lord may give you the right words to say - His Words. The bottom line is that it must come from God, not from what we think is best. The only way to know is to pray.

Seeking the True Savior Over Your Own Wisdom

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

Have you ever heard a person described as having a “God Complex”? Basically, it is someone who steps in as a “savior” for anyone they come in contact with. Unfortunately, their motive comes more from pride and control. A person with a God Complex believes that their way to solve a problem is the only way.

We don’t have to have a God Complex to have pride and control, motivating our desire to “save the day”. Sometimes it can even be our own selfish desires that drive our need to be a person’s savior.

This is especially true when it’s a situation that’s close to our hearts. Maybe you have an adult child who wants to join the military. Out of fear, you come up with every “wise” reason why they shouldn’t in order to “save them” literally. Or a child who wants to go to college far away but is timid and shy. You want to protect them from the harsh reality of adulthood, so you offer “wise” words to convince them to go to school closer to home.

We have to examine our motives before imparting any wisdom. "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight." Isaiah 5:21 Once we have come clean with ourselves, then we must seek the Lord to see if our motives are indeed pure and if they truly reflect God’s will for that person. Having said that, sometimes the most powerful response is none at all…

It’s important to remember that God is the ultimate helper and source of rescue, not us. We don’t ever want to be the reason someone doesn’t initially cry out to the Lord for help, or doesn’t rely on the Lord as a Believer, but instead looks to us for salvation. We should always be pointing others to Christ ESPECIALLY when they are in crisis, NOT trying to save the day for them ourselves. Of course, we are called to love others, to come alongside them, to minister to them, BUT we are to do so by seeking God first BEFORE trying to save the day.

Let's pray ...

Father,
Help us to stop and remember to hand things over to you before we are tempted to take control of our situations.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Katie Moum

Karen Del Tatto is a blogger, author, women's ministry leader, pastor's wife, mom, and grandmother who is passionate about the Word of God. Her blog Growing Together in Grace and Knowledge and her books Choosing to Trust God: Breaking the Habit of Worry, A 30-Day Devotional and Choosing to Trust God Companion Journal reveal her heart for providing Biblical insights to encourage women to grow in and through their struggles while equipping them to overcome. Karen and her husband live in Rhode Island and enjoy walks in the woods, owling, and spending time with their grandchildren.

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