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At first glance you might think I should have asked, “Can God make a bad situation good?” No, I didn’t make a mistake when I wrote the above title.
The reason I opted for the human angle is because if I had asked you whether or not God could right a wrong in your life, you as a Believer would inevitably tell me, “Well, of course! That’s why He is God.” End of discussion.
But when we put the burden back on ourselves, it’s a bit different, isn’t it? We have to make decisions. We have to take responsibility for our actions. We have to think differently about what we are going through. No couch-potato living here if we truly want to expand our faith and live for God.
I am not trying to be Oprah-esque here. Making a bad situation good isn’t like pulling from deep within your soul. I am not referring to mustering up some “power within.” I am not talking about tackling issues with brute force of mind over matter.
I am really talking about seeing your life differently. It’s that whole making lemonade from lemons that I am referring to, only in the less secular vain. Instead of spiraling down deeper into your problems, switch that focus to the ultimate Solution, God and your relationship with Him.
This sense came to me last night while watching Facing the Giants. If you haven’t seen the film by director Alex Kendrick of Sherwood Pictures you really should. Here is this failing coach who is probably going to get the boot because his football team, the Eagles, have been on a losing streak for six years. Coach Grant not only feels like a failure, his team sees him as a failure and his school sees him as a failure.
Can you make a bad situation good? Yes, if you choose to trust the Lord, because He will do it in and through you. Let the Holy Spirit breathe life into the yucky stuff you see and feel and know in your not-so-great day or not-so-great season of life.
Before we let our feelings get the best of us, let’s try to take every thought captive for the cause of Christ. Let’s nip the negativity in the bud before it blooms and takes over the garden of our minds and hearts. Let’s choose to place our circumstances in God’s capable hands and rest assured that He will do what we cannot do on our own.
— Laura J. Bagby
Since I have been out in the desert, there have been some Bible verses that have really been speaking to my soul. It seems God is teaching me something about the hard ground of people’s hearts and the importance of the life-giving nature of the Lord in a desolate place.
I like to hike on weekends to this peak not far from where I live to unwind and enjoy God’s beautiful backyard before the weather gets too hot.
And on this one particular Saturday afternoon, one verse really came to mind as I was trying to find sure footing on the way down the steep, rocky mountain. Instinctively, I knew to look for sections where there were immovable rocks, rather than trying to put all my weight on shifting pebbles and loose rocks. Read the rest of this entry »
Why is it we can get all teary-eyed when we see two wonderful people pledge to love each other through good times and bad at a traditional wedding ceremony – with these famous last words, “For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health” – yet somehow we often don’t translate those same vows to the relationship we are meant to have with our Bridegroom Jesus in our walk of faith?
When things go wrong, instead of sticking it out or standing up for our Beloved, we tend to blame, pull away, and throw in the towel. We think, Yes, Lord, I will follow You no matter what. But when sickness comes and stays for a prolonged season, we can often distance ourselves from the One who can truly help us. Read the rest of this entry »
Ever feel bewildered like Mary and Martha felt when they learned that Jesus didn’t come to heal their brother Lazarus as He had promised? (See John 11:1-32.) Ever felt like in that moment of utter disbelieve, your world just came crashing down? I have. In fact, I felt that way today.
Sitting at my kitchen table with a mountain of problems pushing at my peace of mind, I found myself teary-eyed and very much in the state of Martha. She couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t show up at her brother’s time of need. At the moment of crisis, Jesus was a no-show. When Jesus did finally make it to the house – four days after Lazarus had died and that was purposeful – Martha was beside herself. I can imagine her being grief-stricken yet too weary to demand anything of the Lord. Simply in need of an explanation, she offered, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vs. 21, NIV). Read the rest of this entry »
I just now got back from my weekly Beth Moore Bible study with several close-knit girlfriends. We are studying Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman, and this lesson could not have come at a more vital time in my life, what with its emphasis on overcoming in the midst of personal and national crisis.
Tonight, we looked a lot at a particular Scripture passage. It’s the most often quoted verse in the book of Esther, and you can find it in Esther 4:14.
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?” (Amplified). Read the rest of this entry »
I want to talk a minute to any of you who feels powerless or forgotten or just not good enough because of unfulfilled desires and unmet deep needs.
Maybe you don’t have those things that others do, so you are “left out of the club” when it comes to certain parties or opportunities, while the “haves” seem to be moving toward a bigger and better future.
It’s easy to feel less-than when you keep focusing on your lack. If we were to look at your lack list, it might include one or several of the following areas of unmet needs/desires:
- A spouse
- Kids
- A job
- Good health
- A dependable car
- Friends to hang out with
- A house that you own
Sometimes the longer the list of “have-nots” you concentrate on the more powerless you can feel. Read the rest of this entry »
Ever have one of those days or weeks when you feel like God decided to take a vacation without telling you?
You check downstairs and out in the yard. Nope, He’s not there. You even make sure He isn’t somewhere in your car or at your office. Nope, He isn’t there either. He’s not at the kids’ school. He’s not staying at your friend’s house. He’s not at the gym where you work out.
But you do notice that He leaves hints that He has been there — things like forgetting His extra car keys or part of His lunch. Maybe He left His sunglasses behind on your kitchen table.
There are signs that He was there in your presence, but that’s it: There are only signs. As far as you are concerned, He up and left without so much as a “good-bye.” And there isn’t any real indication that He is going to return to you anytime soon. Read the rest of this entry »
