How to Handle Unwelcome Changes

Think About this, Will You?

"Even the very hairs of your head are numbered." (Luke 12:7, Matthew 10:30, KJV) I told you yesterday that God has a plan for your life. So, when unforeseen things come upon us, we need to remember that we are so important that even the hairs on our little heads are counted. Yes, the Creator has numbered the hairs on your head!  That means that, just like this scripture says, we are important to and loved by God. That means that whatever goes on in our lives, He is aware of it and will work it out for our good." (Romans 8:28, KJV)

Let me put it another way. Can a true mother ever get too busy to answer her child's cries for help if the child is being threatened by a mongrel dog or what-have-you? Exactly! Then neither can the Lord God. All He asks is that we have faith in Him and that we show that faith and love by seeking chat time with Him (praying). He likes to hear from us. (Hebrews 4:16, KJV) What? Why, of course, He knows your name! He counted the hairs on your head, didn't he? Uh hmm-m...

Now that I have you thinking a bit more about the love that He has for you go ahead and read the second part of Lesson 1 from "Chopping My Row." I think that it will bless your soul and make you want to try prayer if you are not a prayer and to pray more if you are not already an avid prayer.

How to Handle Unwelcome Change(s)

Now that we have talked about the fact that change is inevitable, let’s talk about some of the unpleasant things that happen in our lives. We have already stated that nothing lasts always. Well, that applies to trouble, too. It is just for a while. Though we do not know how long a while is, God does.

 

You remember the story of Job in the Bible, don’t you? (Read Job 1:8-22.) You can see from the reading that “Job was an upright man who feared GOD and eschewed evil.” Job was trying to live for the Lord so much that the Lord bragged about him to Satan. Uh oh! And you know what Satan said, “No wonder! You have blessed everything that he has and all the works of his hands; what do you expect?” Now, those were not the exact words, I paraphrased it. I put it into today’s language, but you get my drift.

 

Wonder why the story of Job was recorded in the Bible? The LORD had that recorded in the Bible, His book, because HE knew that one day there would be some of His children who would need reassuring when they had to go through similar things in their lives. Thank You, Father, for looking through our lives before our time and placing things there that You knew we would need to make it through this land of our temporary dwelling.

Just like the Bible has records of how God’s children’s enemies caused them trouble, it has many episodes recorded to show us that the LORD GOD took care of HIS people. And what we have to remember is that just as HE took care of them back then, because HE is faithful (Read 1 Corinthians 1:9), HE will take care of us now. We have to remember the other times in our lives when we have wrung our hands and cried to HIM and HE brought us through. We must remember that HE took care of us in our mother’s womb and has brought us on down to this present moment. In these plans that HE has made for us, there is help for the rough times that HE knew were coming. We must remember that in this storm, in this moment, HE is ever present and is working things out for our good (Romans 8:28).

 

Let’s take a look at the story of Joseph in the Bible (Read Genesis 37:1-36 Chapters 39-41). You see from this Biblical account that Joseph had some unexpected, unpleasant changes to happen in his life. He was thrown into a pit, sold to the Egyptians, and thrown into prison. We realize that these unwelcome changes were not things that Joseph planned nor enjoyed, but he managed to keep his faith in God. We can see the hand of the LORD working from whatever situations, traps, and pitfalls Joseph was put in. When he was thrown into the pit, the LORD got him out of the pit, because if you will remember, it was the original intent of his brothers to kill him and to tell their Dad that a wild animal had slain him. That’s what they thought they were going to do, but not so. The LORD already had a plan. He had the plan before Joseph was even born. Woo! Ladies, when you think about it, you know that whatever moment we happen to be in, in our lives, whatever moment defines our “this moment or this day”, GOD is already there working things out according to HIS plan! If you will have that attitude in your life, you will have people marveling at your faith in God.

 

To get back to Joseph, the LORD had him to find favor down in Egypt (care package). He ended up in the house of an Egyptian noble who liked him very well. You can see the providential hand of the LORD working again. Uh oh! Not only did the noble like Joseph well enough, but apparently so did the noble’s wife. Isn’t that the way it seems that life happens to us sometimes; you can’t catch a break for “nothing?” She meant to have Joseph one way or another and when he would not sin against God by lying with her but instead ran out of his coat to get away from her, she lied on him. And that lie caused poor Joseph to end up in prison. It seems that the adversary never leaves you alone if you are trying to live for the LORD. Another unpleasant change for Joseph, but he kept his faith intact. How do we know? We know because references in the scripture are made to let us know. (Read Gen 39:9)

• Should I do this thing and sin against GOD?

We know that Joseph kept his faith in GOD throughout his entire ordeal because in Genesis 50:20 he told his brothers these beautiful words that bring music to my ears and joy to my soul every time I hear them, “You meant evil against me but GOD meant it for good to bring it about as it is this day.” All in all, Joseph remained faithful until his death as we can see from reading Genesis 50:24-25.

We will finish this Lesson 1 up on tomorrow, but as you can see, I am an avid believer in prayer!  And if you stick with me, you will be, too, if you are not already.

Doing What I Can, While I Can Because I Care,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Three Last Things:

1. He sees the bigger picture because He wrote the plan.


2. He knows what is best for you. Never forget that.


3. BYDWP