“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28). Hallelu-jah (praise the Lord)!! That means, as God’s children, nothing negative from our past has any negative influence over our lives. God is able to change all past negative circumstances and experiences to have a positive effect on our lives.
As
we submit to God and allow him to fulfill his unchanging plans for our
lives He is able to use all matters in our lives to our advantage. Instead of
mourning over the past the Lord works things out to the point where we
can say like Joseph, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for
good,” Genesis 50:20.
The
past experiences, our disadvantages, circumstances, Satan and his
fallen angels, people with ill motives, or whatever cause may have
intended to harm us. God is sovereign power and might, who is above
circumstances, limitations, impossibilities, closed doors, malicious
people, and above Satan, is able to transform the negative matters to
end up working to our good. Instead of becoming prisons for our lives,
caging us in from moving forward, God uses them as stepping stones to
our palace for bearing much fruit for God’s glory.
We
seem to have a lot of easy answers on how Joseph coped with the severe
storms that befell him. But the whole truth is that God kept him in the
midst of it all.
Joseph
did not have some high determination and guts to continue trusting in
God. He was as frail as any of us. And he had no bible to read on the
faithfulness of God. Put in his shoes many of us would rather be dead.
Yet God in his power is able to sustain us if we go through the worst of
experiences.
When
we get out we even wonder how we came out alive, sane and still
Christians. It's unfortunate when some depart from the faith or end up
in sin or compromise that brings more bondage. This is another side of
the story, but glory be to God for those of us who came out alive and
Christian.
May
he use us to save others that can be vulnerable to Satan's schemes
during storms. No one deserves to face destruction, especially after
becoming a Christian. May God use us to stand in the gap and allow him
to frustrate Satan's attempts while fulfilling his plan..
Through
God all things are possible, bearable, and can be overcome. Unlike
Joseph we have the bible to encourage us. With God's word richly living
in us the Holy Spirit is able to effectively use it when storms come. He
enables us to effectively respond to storms in a way that blocks Satan
from using them to work against us.
Storms
of life do not spell doom for us for as long as our response is in a
way that blocks Satan from using them against us. Whether from past or
current experiences God can still use them to work to our good. He did
it for Joseph, for Jesus, the early disciples and many saints of God
throughout history. Why not for us? Yes he still does today. He's the
same God who changeth not (James 1:17).
Past
or present storms of life are unpleasant experiences that befall us out
of no fault of our own. They include experiences of living under
constant negative and critical words; experiences of betrayal (by a
loved one; trusted person, or leader); death of a loved one; severe
physical or emotional abuse experiences; living under a heavy control
and disciplinary environment that brings fear; living under rejection;
false accusations; terrible divorce experience (as the victim);
traumatic experience(s), severe accident (e.g. surviving the September
11 terror experience, traumatic accident, casualty of war); having a
physical or social disability; having a certain physical appearance
society “persecutes;” severe racial, gender and ethnic discrimination or
abuse; falling victim to false teachings; genuine trials of faith; and
so on.
A victim of whatever storm of life ought to focus on God's power, sovereignty and love in fulfilling "plan B." By saying positive words, such as, "Satan
may have created this mess but God who is more powerful knows how to
use it to bring out the best for his glory." Not saying it out of
arrogance but out of humility of being God's child. He is the God who
fights our battles.
For
any of us our resolve ought to be that whatever our limitations they
cannot hinder God from fulfilling his ultimate plans for our lives. He's
the one in charge, not our circumstances. Needless to say that we’re in
this life not to fulfill our fantasy island desires but to fulfill his
preordained will for our lives. It is this preordained plan for our
lives that’s unstoppable for as long as we keep walking with God.
Our
circumstances whether from past or present experiences can roar like
Goliath if they want to. But the final choice is on each one of us.
Whose report will you believe -the report of circumstances or the report
of the Lord in his written word? One is proclaiming doom while the
other proclaiming hope. One is proclaiming a curse while the other is
proclaiming a blessing.
~Bits and Pieces from the book Breaking Spiritual Strongholds & Embracing God's "Plan B"/ Healing the Wounded Spirit by the Spiritual Warfare Deliverance Ministry
Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus, acknowledging You as my
Refuge and High Tower. You are a refuge and a stronghold in these times
of trouble (high cost, destitution and desperation).
In the day
of trouble You will hide me in Your shelter, in the secret place of Your
tent will You hide me; You will set me high upon a rock. And now shall
my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in Your tent I
will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to You, O Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; have mercy and
be gracious to me and answer me!
On the authority of Your
Word, I declare that I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ
Jesus. When I cry for help, You, Lord, hear me and deliver me out of
all my distress and troubles. You are close to me, for I am of a broken
heart, and You save such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are
humbly and thoroughly penitent. Lord, many are the evils that confront
me, but You deliver me out of them all.
Thank You for
being merciful and gracious to me, O God, for my soul takes refuge and
finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings I
take refuge and am confident until calamities and destructive storms are
passed. You perform on my behalf and reward me. You bring to pass Your
purposes for me, and surely You complete them!
Father, You are my Refuge and Strength (mighty and impenetrable to temptation), a very present and well-proved help in trouble.
Lord,
You have given and bequeathed to me Your peace. By Your grace I will
not let my heart be troubled, neither will I let it be afraid. With the
help of the Holy Spirit I will (stop allowing myself to be agitated and
disturbed; and I refuse to permit myself to be fearful and intimidated
and cowardly and unsettled).
By faith, I respond to these
troubles and calamities: (I am full of joy now!) I exult and triumph in
my troubles and rejoice in my sufferings, knowing that pressure and
affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And
endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and
tried integrity). And character (of this sort) produces (the habit of)
joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never
disappoints or deludes or shames me, for Your love has been poured out
in my heart through the Holy Spirit who has given to me.
In Jesus name, amen.
Prayer by Germaine Copeland, Handling the Day of Trouble or Calamity
