When Things Go Awry

If I were to tell you a secret, I think you would see that you shared in my
secret. What if I were to tell you that I secretly struggle with having
faith in God’s plans when things go awry? It’s true. As I go through this
fun adventure we call life, I have my good moments when I raise my hand and
proclaim, “God is so good!” But I also have my moments when the worry of
life becomes too much, and I wonder if God can see me in this low valley
that I’m in and if He has time for me.

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It’s easy to hold on to God’s promises when life is going the way that
makes sense to us, when things seem safe and predictable. But what about
when things seem to go off track? If you’re anything like me, you might be
sitting there imagining yourself having the perfect response and the
deepest faith and trust in God, even when the world is falling apart. But
let’s be honest for a minute. If the thing we feared most were to happen
right now, what would our response really be? We would probably shake
silently as we begged for it not to be true. We would probably pray and ask
God to let this be a bad dream and let us wake up soon.

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When things are crashing down around us, the worry hits us without our
consent and sends a round of crazy thoughts through our head. What happened
to God, though? It didn’t take Him by surprise. It didn’t catch Him off
guard. Instead, He’s sitting there with His hand outstretched saying, “Come
to me, my child. Come home. I see your pain, and I am grieving your hurts
with you. Let me give you the strength and faith you need to hold on and to
keep your eyes on me. And even when you feel yourself slipping, I won’t let
you go.”

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As you close your eyes and hear His gentle voice reminding you that you
aren’t alone in this mess, you can rest in His promise: “For I am
the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, ”˜Do not
fear, I will help you’” (Isaiah 41:13). • Mary Garner

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• Consider taking a moment to imagine if the thing you feared most were to
happen, but imagine God being there with you. How might God help you in
that situation?

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• Read Matthew 14:22-33. When Peter didn’t keep his eyes on Jesus, what did
Jesus do? How could this story give us hope when we feel overwhelmed by
what’s going on around us?

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For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, “Do
not fear, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Psalm 94:18-Psalm 94:19; Isaiah 41:10-Isaiah 41:13; Matthew 14:22-Matthew 14:33