Do we ever feel well-prepared for ready for bad news? I know I don’t, however, in hindsight, I always know God somehow prepared me for the bad news.
On Sunday morning at church, I bawled my eyes out over the simple truth, that I am not in control, despite my every effort to remain guarded, “seemingly” in control. A split second later, I felt my defenses rise up while I asked the very question: “What bad news is coming my way this week?”
How do we deal with bad news while trusting God?
This little train of thought led me down a rabbit hole: How do we deal with bad news while trusting God?
Let’s consider the meaning and implication of trusting God as a Christian.
What does it Really Mean to Trust God?
Oftentimes, I feel disappointed when I don’t get what I want. On the one hand, I know, I have a faithful Father in God that wants to give me the desires of my heart. I know that as I draw near to Him, I am being transformed into His likeness and by implication, what I want, becomes more in line with His will and purpose for my life.
On the other, I am fully aware that He knows better, He is in control and sees the full picture. He is sovereign and will work all things together for my good.
When Things Don’t Work Out the Way I Want them to…
Naturally, many things don’t work out the way I want them to.
When things don’t go my way, I often resort to scripture where bold men like Daniel’s friends in Daniel 3, acknowledges that God is capable of doing what I need Him to do, but even if He doesn’t do want I want Him to do in my situation, I will still acknowledge His lordship and authority in my life.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”
Daniel 3:16-18
The below song from MercyMe appeals to the very essence of this scripture. So often times in this every season of juggling my hopes with God’s outcome, you will hear the song blaring in our home.
How does my Frame of Reference as a Christian really differ from the Secular World?
Apart from the obvious difference, in terms of the fact that as Christians we place our hope and trust in God, I started wondering how that translates in my day-to-day life.
It is easy to acknowledge the fact that God knows me inside and outside and use the fact that He is sovereign as an excuse to carry on without acknowledging Him in the day-to-day.
To me, this is the trap.
God knows me intimately. But He wants me to take the time and effort to tell Him how I feel. He has wired us to gain comfort from spending time with the ultimate comforter, the Holy Spirit.
I’m starting to realise that one of the ways the enemy keeps us from God, is by immobilizing us. See if we stay stuck in the “God is Sovereign” spot, without moving into relation with the Holy Spirit. We are left weak.
When we lean into God. Into His protection and His comfort, the bad news we’re expecting means nothing. It has no hold on us. Ultimately, we are reminded on a different, relational level, that God really is in control.
Sparrow at Heart 