Isaiah 22:1
“The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?”
One of the first questions I ask when someone comes for help is, “What is your problem?” You will never find a solution without first discovering the problem. Symptoms and conditions can be discussed, but you will never solve your problem until you identify the source. Certainly, the symptoms can help lead you to the problem, but you have to identify your problem so that you can change what causes it.
The verse above is a dialogue that God had with the city of Jerusalem. He asked, “What aileth they now…?” This was more than a question; it was their answer. God was trying to get them to stop talking about their symptoms so they could get to their problem. God went on to identify their problems, but they could have gotten to the solution earlier had they asked themselves the same question. Four observations can be taken from this question that will help you to change your problems in life.
First, you always answer problems with questions. You will never solve your life’s problems until you honestly answer your questions. You can continue to go down the same road of life and never ask yourself why you are in constant ailment, or you can stop and ask yourself what is causing the problem. For instance, you can struggle financially for the rest of your life, or you can stop and ask yourself what is eating away at your finances. This can be applied to any area of life. It can be applied to your marriage, ministry, family relationships, weight problems, attitude, and even your inability to be promoted on the job. Until you give yourself an honest answer to your problem, you will never be able to get out of your situation.
Second, you will never change your situation until you look at the present and not the past. God asked Jerusalem, “What aileth theenow…?” You can keep on referring to what you used to do or what you want to do, but you will never change your situation in life until you look at what is happening in the present. Refusing to look at your present condition by burying your head in the past only hurts your future potential. If you want to change your present ailments, you must start dealing with the present and stop living in the past.
Third, you must be specific with your inquisitions and answers if you are going to resolve your problems. God wanted specific answers and not general ones. We all know what our specific problems are, but because we don't want to face the reality of our depravity, we continue to answer life’s questions in generalities. You will never change your problems until you become specific with your answers.
Fourth, you must deal with your issues NOW before the day of trouble. If you think it is bad now, wait until your problems come to fruition. Because the inhabitants of Jerusalem refused to answer their ailments, they had to live in the “day of trouble.” Thinking that you will never have to deal with your issues is like living in a fantasy world. Friend, your issues are leading you to a day of trouble. Either you can answer the difficult questions so you can have the answers about what you need to do, or you can wait until your day of trouble comes. If you think you have problems now, just wait until your problems become reality. If you deal with your issues now, you can avoid the unrepairable heartache that the day of trouble will bring.