Paul knew that God works in our lives according to our expectation. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:9b-10, “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us . . . and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” (NIV).

The purpose of the dead end is to teach you to trust in God. Why does God let things get so bad and so out of control? So he can force you to learn to trust in him instead of trusting in your own ingenuity and cleverness.

What’s the promise when you trust God? He has delivered you, he will deliver you, and he will continue to deliver you. God uses three different kinds of deliverance:

1. God uses circumstantial deliverance. Sometimes God miraculously alters the circumstance, and the Red Sea splits. That will happen many times in your life, but it’s not going to happen all the time.

2. God uses personal deliverance. Instead of changing the circumstance, God changes you from the inside. You get a new dream, a new vision, a new attitude, and a new perspective.

3. God’s ultimate deliverance is Heaven. God has not promised to remove all of your pain in this world or solve every one of your problems. Because we are on earth, there is pain and sorrow and suffering. The ultimate deliverance will be one day in Heaven where there will be no pain, no sorrow, no suffering, and no heartache.

There is only one way to get to Heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV). When you’re at a dead end, Jesus can take that hopeless end and turn it into an endless hope.

Are you at a dead end? I invite you to take that problem, that situation, and your own life and give them to Jesus Christ. Jesus always looks out for your best interests.