Are You at Your Wits’ End?

I received a phone call recently from a dear friend. Panicked, she began to tell me that she felt as if she were at her wits’ end.

I instantly related to her words. I have used that phrase before, haven’t you? In fact, I believe we’re in a season right now that the enemy would love to have us confess that we are hopeless and helpless, even feeling as if we were losing our minds! But that is a lie.

Let’s examine where this phrase originated and then we will discuss the fact that God wants us focused on His ability to empower us and equip us to experience victory and finish well.

Have you even wondered where that idiom came from: “I’m at my wits’ end?” Actually, it means that you’ve been worried and upset and have tried every which way you knew to solve a problem, but you couldn’t solve it! Sometimes people might say, “I’m at the end of my wits!” It still means the same—you’ve tried everything, you’re upset and you’ve reached your limitations, both emotionally and mentally, while attempting to complete a task or solve a problem.

Are You at Your Wits’ End?

Believer, amazingly, the phrase originated in the King James Version of the Bible and is documented in Psalm 107:27: “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.” This verse is referring to people who go back and forth in their devotion and passion to the Lord. I believe that we are in a season when the enemy is trying to quench our passion by trying to wear us out! We are facing decisions that need answers, building projects that need finances, physical illnesses that need healing, right? Yet, if we do not remain focused on His Word and His truths concerning His ability to watch over His Word and perform it, we might be tempted to waver in our faith and our trust in Him.

The ancient definition of “wit” is “knowledge” and “wisdom.” Therefore, we can say that this phrase means that many people could be at the end of their knowledge and wisdom in finding answers and solutions. We all want to fulfill divine purpose and finish well. To us, as believers, it means we must have faith and seek God’s divine wisdom for this season and the seasons ahead. It is easy to become frustrated right now, especially with so many different prophetic voices and opposing views concerning these times.

We Need God’s Divine Wisdom to Finish Well

Do you know who the wisest man (other than Jesus Christ) that ever lived was? Sure you do: Solomon! This man started his walk with the Lord with tremendous zeal and passion, only to waver later and lose his focus. I want to share something that will keep us on track and help each of us end well.

Solomon was King David’s son. When David grew older, God designated Solomon to succeed his father as king. However, Solomon recognized his inability to govern the people of Israel. I suppose you might say he felt “at the end of his wits!” as he attempted to govern well. So, early in his reign, Solomon offered a sacrifice in Gibeon and waited there all night long, hoping to hear from God. Well, as you know, God was faithful and appeared to him in a dream.

God told Solomon that he could ask for anything and God would give it to him. In humility, and I love this part, this young, inexperienced king asked for an “understanding heart” to judge the people. In receiving this, Solomon hoped that he might be empowered to “discern between good and evil.” God was so pleased with his request, He not only gave him a wise heart (wisdom), but also he added multitudes of material blessings! (1 Kin. 3:4-13). 

Solomon used this divine wisdom in his handling of the case of a disputed baby (1 Kin. 3:16-27). He identified the real mother in the dispute by threatening to cut the child in half, fully waiting for the child’s real mother to relent and give up the child to the other in order to spare her child’s life. This is an awesome example of how Solomon had God’s wisdom—who would think of that? Yes, it had to originate with God!

We also know that Solomon was knowledgeable in natural science (1 Kin. 4:33) and had general marked levels of intelligence (10:1-9). In the book of Proverbs, we read the demonstration of Solomon’s wisdom that we treasure today (Prov. 8:32-36). There is no doubt that Solomon provided us many practical guidelines for successful living. Yet, though for a while he may not have felt he was at his wits’ end because he had sought God for wisdom, I believe he was eventually feeling that way later in life when Satan found his Achilles’ heel.

Solomon’s weakness was when he sinned and disobeyed God’s commandments by marrying foreign women. God was explicitly clear about this commandment in Exodus 23:32-33. The issue was this: He married foreign women and then worshipped their foreign gods! Thus, Solomon backslid right into the sin of idolatry.

Believer, whenever we go astray from God’s directives, it is Satan’s plan to cause us not to use wisdom and, especially, not to finish well. Not putting God first is a form of idolatry. Solomon was given wisdom in response to his asking for wisdom. The same wisdom is available to us. 

James 1:5-6 tells us to ask for it, but always asking in faith that we’ve received. We will be at our wits’ end if we don’t put God first and use His wisdom every day of our lives. We are in a season where we must be like Joshua and remain focused on our assignment. Let’s talk about Joshua and how he maintained passion to finish well.

Joshua Finished Well

Joshua proves to us that it is wisdom to heed God’s commandments and directives. Joshua 1 is one of my favorite passages. The book starts with God telling Joshua that Moses is dead and that it would be he, Joshua, who would lead God’s children into their promised land. Several times within the very first chapter, God instructs Joshua to be strong and to have courage.

This tells me that Joshua might have been tempted with fear; after all, he was leading the entire nation across the Jordan River and into their promised land. However, they were going to have to go to war to take that land. Did Joshua and the Israelites need courage? Absolutely! Did they need to remain strong? It was a must-have! But how would Joshua do that? How was Joshua to remain encouraged and have strength to move forward?

God gives more instruction to Joshua, and this, my friends, was his insurance policy. It’s our insurance policy, as well, as we move forward and finish well:

“Be strong and very courageous, in order to act carefully in accordance with all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn aside from it to the right or the left, so that you may succeed wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may act carefully according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way successful, and you will be wise. Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:7-9).

Meditating on God’s Word

Dear ones, the way to fulfill destiny and finish our race well is to do just as Joshua had to do. Joshua remained strong and courageous by meditating on the Word of God day and night and doing what the Word said. As New Covenant believers, we are not under the Law of Moses; so for us, today, to be successful is to meditate on the Word of God. To meditate means to “ponder, keep in mind, imagine, speak and utter.” This means that we are to keep in mind only what God instructs and says.

To finish this race, remain strong and encouraged, we cannot meditate (ponder, utter and so on) upon anything other than the Word. The word “meditate” is connected to the word “consider.” I know that in this season that the Lord instructed me to consider only what He has said concerning issues that I am facing on a daily basis. I travel and speak a lot, and this is one of the main messages I speak to the body of Christ: Do not consider what it looks like in the natural—only consider what God says! 

The New Testament uses Abraham as a very good example for us. When God first spoke to them concerning having a child, their names were Abram and Sarai. (God later changed their names to Abraham and Sarah). At one point, when God told Sarah and Abraham that they were to have a child, Sarah actually laughed at God. They were both skeptical because they were both old.

Yes, like many of us, they focused on and considered the natural. So, in a desperate attempt to have a child, they came up with their own plan and had Ishmael. (I think maybe some of us have done that also. I know I have!)

However, God would not honor Ishmael, and so He spoke to them once again and confirmed that they would have a son together. You know the story; they had Isaac who later fathered Jacob (Israel). What happened? Where did the shift come from? After Abraham was even older now and Sarah was older also?

The book of Romans is clear that Abraham finally chose to “consider” (meditate, ponder, imagine, speak and utter) what God had said! Romans 4:19 says, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body to be dead (when he was about a hundred years old), nor yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb.”

Believers, maybe many of us have messed up a bit and wavered in our faith and maybe even created an Ishmael. But it’s never too late to make the wise choice to “consider” and “meditate” on what God said. Abraham fulfilled destiny by considering God’s promise. Joshua had to continue to consider and meditate on the Word of God in order to shout down the seemingly impregnable wall of Jericho!

Think about it. Joshua was to use only the weapon of a shout in warfare. He was not allowed to use any other weapon than the obedience of marching around Jericho for seven days. They marched once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. They were not allowed to mutter a word.

But I’ll bet Joshua was meditating and considering constantly! Yes, he kept imagining that wall falling down; he kept meditating on God’s promise and at the right time, he led the army in a great shout. And just as God promised, the Jericho wall fell, and the Israelites took the city. Now that’s a good example of finishing well in a certain season. 

Let’s Finish Well

Precious saint, I know these are difficult times, but in spite of that, God is empowering us with a shout! Though walls and even mountains stand before us, God is faithful to deliver us. Let’s decide today to only consider the Word of the Lord. Let us meditate on His greatness and His faithfulness. Psalm 91 is clearly given for times such as these. Taking time to meditate on that passage will prove comforting for every believer, no matter what challenge he or she faces.

Instead of being at our wits’ end, let us ask for God’s wisdom and then passionately meditate and consider the fact that what He says He will do—He will do it! I have written several books that would encourage you, but the one that I believe would be well worth reading in this season would be Silencing the Accuser: Eight Lies Satan Uses Against Believers. My latest book, Faith After Failure: Reconnecting With Your Destiny, would be very helpful as well. Both books are faith-builders and also give time for self-reflection so that you can shift into victorious living.

In closing, I want to talk about Jeremiah—a man who at first focused on his weaknesses. God, however, focused only on Jeremiah’s strengths and potential to fulfill destiny. God touched Jeremiah in such a way that he was able to “see” his destiny. Yes, Jeremiah saw a new season, meaning that he was able to see himself as God saw him. Rather than focusing on his disappointments in himself, Jeremiah’s eyes were opened to see himself as a victor.

Believer, God wants to touch you today as well. God wants you to consider (meditate on) the fact that He will watch over His words and bring them to pass!

Allow me to pray for you and impart strength and courage to your spirit:

“Father God, I pray for each reader. I pray that You would touch their eyes so that they would see that their future is in Your divine hands. Lord, I pray for an impartation of strength and courage and that each person would have confidence in You and Your Word. Father, You state that You will watch over Your Word to perform it. I pray that You will watch over the destiny of every reader. Thank You for empowering us to meditate and consider the Word of the Lord and thank You for the  shout that you are placing within each person’s spirit. Thank You, Lord, for a strong finishing anointing and the impartation to finish well. In Jesus mighty name! Amen!” {eoa}

Dr. Sandie Freed co-labors with her husband, Mickey Freed, doing the work of the Lord as a ministry team. In addition, they are the founders of Zion Ministries Training Center in Bedford, Texas, and Lifegate Church International. Sandie has traveled nationally and internationally, teaching dreams and visions seminars and on spiritual discernment. Her ability to adequately prophesy and discern spiritual strongholds over regions has released numerous breakthroughs for individuals and ministries. Sandie has authored Dream On and 11 other books, most of which are in several different languages.