Rashad, a pastor, was involved in a horrific car accident. A pick-up truck, going in the wrong direction, hit his car head on. He was severely injured and suffered life-threatening injuries.    
    When his wife got to the hospital, he was stable and in and out of consciousness. Doctors determined that he would make it but his recovery would be a difficult one. 
    Although Rashad did not know what was going on with his body, he had to now practice what he preached - he had to pray and trust God. He had prayer support from family, friends and his congregation. He underwent surgeries to repair his pelvis and broken bones. Doctors could not promise however, that he would ever be able to walk again without the help of a cane or other support. For an active man like Rashad, this was difficult news.
    After a month of recovery, he was strong enough to move to a rehab facility. Initially, his faith was high. He believed that when he left, he would be able to run and jump and do things he had done before. However, in his very first session, he could not even move his leg. After a few days, he felt defeated and wondered if it would get better, if he would ever be able to at least walk again. 
    The driver who had hit him, was convicted of reckless driving. Rashad prayed for him, believing that he had to forgive him. He realised that harbouring unforgiveness and anger in his heart could hinder his recovery. Two months after the accident, he was released but still had to use a wheelchair. They continued to believe God for his complete healing. During this time, he recognised that it wasn’t about him but it was all about God’s glory. His recovery was gradual, but four months after the accident, he returned to the pulpit fully recovered.
    A few things caught my attention with this testimony. One, there were times when Rashad had the faith that God would do it for him. Yet, when faced with the reality of what he could not do, his faith wavered. It was easy to speak it but not so easy to continue believing when his body was not responding to his faith. What do we do in situations like that, when what we see is not lining up with what we believe? It can be difficult. In those valley seasons, it can be difficult to believe that you will ever get out. Yet, it is always about trusting God even when things don’t make sense, trusting that you will not remain where you are and you will make it through even though you can’t even see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am reminded of Psalm 121:1-2: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Sometimes, I think, we just have to look up even when everything around us is going downhill. We have to keep our focus on the One who gives us the strength we need in times of trouble. 
    Second, Rashad realised he had to forgive the driver who had run into him. It wasn’t just about faith and medical intervention, it was also about his heart condition. He had to do this God’s way and part of that meant forgiving the person who had put him in this position. Forgiveness is powerful and can be an integral part of the healing process. Whenever you choose to forgive, you are choosing to heal. 
    Third, Rashad acknowledged that it wasn’t about him but about God’s glory. As a child of God, what we go through is usually not about us but an opportunity for God to be glorified through what we go through. It’s about reaching others for him, proving to them His grace and mercy. Put in this context, we can be confident that we are going to make it because God is going to bring good out of our negative situation. Our pain, our suffering is not in vain.
    God does not desire to make our lives miserable. Whatever we go through, He will always have a good purpose for it. Although we can’t see it while we are going through it, God is usually up to something good and is orchestrating everything to fulfil His plan and purpose for our lives. As I mentioned last week, your negative situation does not mean that it’s over. God is not finished with you yet. He is still working out everything for your good.
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is still a present help in trouble. He will never leave you nor forsake you especially in seasons where you may feel that life is over. He still has a plan for you; He still has a purpose for you here on this earth. You are not alone. He is there and HE will ensure that you make it.

    Matthew and Preslee had already suffered a miscarriage and were devastated when Preslee gave birth to their second child but she was stillborn. They held a memorial service which brought some comfort to them. However, days later, they became overwhelmed with grief. Preslee questioned why it had to happen, why she had to get sick, and wondered if she should have done something different. Matthew felt as if God owed him another girl. After all, he was serving Him and had dedicated his life to Him and he wanted this.
    In the following days they received encouragement and prayer from family and friends, including Matthew’s mother. A close friend had shared with her that eventually, God would give the couple a harvest of joy. She believed that this was a Word from God. When she did research, she found Psalm 126:5-6, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves.” Matthew, however, felt as if God had gone silent. He prayed and fasted, seeking the Holy Spirit’s touch once again. He prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill him and give him guidance, peace and to help him release the pain.
    Four months later, while at church on Mother’s Day, the couple felt as if God broke His silence. A baby dedication was taking place reminding them of the fact that they could have been dedicating their baby also on that day. Yet, God told them that they had grieved long enough and it was time to move on. Weeks later, Preslee was pregnant again. In spite of fear and anxiety, she delivered a healthy baby girl. A few years later, she gave birth to a baby boy. Matthew believes that God has smiled on them and given them favour. He believes that God will make things right and do so as if they never happened to you. 
    I am encouraged by this testimony because although they went through their season of grief, they did not stay there. God brought them through it. Yes, it was tough, but they learned to trust and lean on God in spite of it all. Like the testimony last week, I love their honesty. Matthew admitted that he felt that God owed him especially since he was serving Him and had dedicated his life to Him. 
    Maybe some of us can relate. After all, you are doing your best to live right, to obey God, to do what He wants you to do, and yet, tragedy strikes and you wonder, “Why Lord?” “How could this have happened when I am doing everything I can to serve You?” It can be disheartening when we realise that although we are serving Him to the best of our ability, bad things can still happen. Yet, I am realising that, with God, tough times really do not last forever. Bad things may happen, but God is right there giving us the strength to make it through. And, as if that isn’t enough, He uses our difficult season to strengthen us, mould and shape us and even as a testimony to encourage others. 
    God knows how to bring good out of every bad situation we may face. I don’t think He ever allows it to come our way without ensuring that there is good on the other side of it. This I think is encouraging. 
    So, be encouraged today. Tragic seasons don’t mean that it’s the end. God still has a beautiful plan for your life. It’s not over because something bad has happened. In fact, it could signal the beginning of something new. Allow God to have the final say. He knows what He is doing. Just trust Him!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Once you are alive, bad things may come but God is not finished with you yet! He still has a plan, He still has a purpose for you and it is more beautiful than you can ever imagine.   

    Blake lost his father at the age of fifteen. His father had gotten into an accident and as much as Blake believed that he would make it, he did not. Blake was devastated but he tried to be strong for his mother. He wanted her to know that she would still be protected and be okay. He started going to church and even got baptised but it was just an outward show. On the inside, he battled with doubt and grief.
    When he moved out from his home a year later, he moved into his own apartment. He completely shut God out and turned instead to drugs in an effort to find peace. He felt empty and tried to fill the void with various things. None of it worked and a few months later, he came to the painful realisation that he had let his father down. He decided to go to his father’s grave and apologise to him and pray. When he prayed he asked for peace and for help to be whole again. He felt an overwhelming peace and knew he would be okay. He felt that God was with him and had heard his prayer.          
    He finally stopped taking drugs and completely surrendered his heart to the Lord. He is amazed at how building a relationship with his heavenly Father has healed his heart. He is now faithfully spending quality time with God and when he prays, he admits he feels at peace. He acknowledges that God knows what He is doing and that what He is doing is His best for him.
     I love the honesty of Blake’s testimony. He was grieving for his father who was also his best friend. In an effort to deal with the pain, he turned to all the wrong things. But, when he finally came to his senses he turned to God and allowed Him to heal the hurt and grief. Now his life has changed for the good.
    It can be difficult to hand our pain over to God. We may think we can handle it ourselves but instead, we only make things worse. I am learning to ask God sometimes to take it, especially when I realise that I can’t and don’t want to hand it over to Him. I choose to be honest with Him because I know He already knows how I feel and that I am struggling to want to give it to Him in the first place. That’s what I love about God. Even when I can’t because I don’t want to, He will step in and help me to do what I can’t and don’t want to do.
    When Blake finally surrendered completely to God, the peace that he had been looking for, he finally found. Everything else he had tried, had failed to satisfy that need. That peace could only be found in God. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.” As I said last week, it’s about trust, it’s about surrender. Understandably, we can become so fixed on the problem that we rob ourselves of peace and don’t even realise it. We try everything to bring peace into our lives and fail because the problem is our focus.
    In Matthew 14:22-33, when Peter got out of the boat in faith and fixed his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on rough waters without a problem. Unfortunately, as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus  and refocused on the stormy waters he became afraid and started to sink. Isn’t that like so many of us? It is so easy to become distracted by the problem that we forget the One who has the answer to our problem. God will never allow us to sink and drown but we have to trust Him. We have to surrender our will, our desire for the situation and allow His perfect will to take precedence. It is a beautiful thing that Blake finally realised that God knows what He is doing and that God is doing His best for Him. We need to realise that too. 
    What I also love about the story of Peter is the fact that when Peter realised that he was sinking, he cried out to Jesus and said, “Lord save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out and caught him. That’s what Jesus did for Blake and that’s what He will do for you and me as well. When we realise that we are sinking and we cry out to Him, He will immediately come to our rescue. That is a comfort. He will never leave us to drown in our situation. He is always right there waiting and ready to help when needed. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is still our present help in our time of need. He will even help us to focus on Him when it is difficult to do so. He will never fail us, He will never leave us to drown. He will always be there ready and waiting to help us when we cry out to Him.

    Thirty-eight year old Sarah, and her husband, Will, had two children and were expecting a third. When she received her prenatal results, the news was devastating. Her baby, a girl, was diagnosed with Edward syndrome (trisomy 18), a genetic disorder that causes physical growth delays during fetal development. Life expectancy is usually short.
    They scheduled an amniocentesis which would confirm the results and help them determine whether or not to terminate the pregnancy. Although abortion was not an option, they were not sure they had the faith to turn it over to God and trust Him for the outcome. Sarah cried out to God asking Him for a Word to direct them what to do. It was then that she heard God through the voice of her unborn daughter telling her to tell them to leave her alone, she was just fine. Sarah knew what to do. When her husband came home from work she told him that they were not going to do the amniocentesis. He responded that God had told him the same thing. They both had peace after that. Sarah cancelled the appointment and they gave their daughter a name, Lively Rain. 
    For the next thirty-three weeks, they had no idea whether or not their baby would be born with the disorder but the couple and their family prayed. When Lively Rain was finally born, she showed no signs of Edward syndrome. As Sarah’s obstetrician said, she was perfect. Five years later, Lively continues to be healthy thanks to the power of prayer. Sarah’s advice to any parent would be to gather your information, lay it at His feet, let Him have the final say and expect to hear Him.
    A few things come to my attention. They admit that they did not have the faith to turn the problem over to God and trust Him for the outcome. That is not unfamiliar to many of us. We know what God can do. We have heard what He has done for others but we are not sure that He will come through for us. Also, the problem can seem so overwhelming that fear is greater than faith. I also believe that many times we are fearful that He will not work it out the way we would like. We know what we want the end result to be but are afraid that His end result for us will be different. This is where trust and surrender come in. It’s about surrendering our will and desires to God and trusting that however He chooses to work it out, it will be for our good. His Word says that all things work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). 
    Sometimes we may have to decide if what we want is more important than His perfect plan for us. We may have to ask ourselves if we will still love and serve Him if we don’t get our way. It can be tough but the end result He has for us will always be worth it. I am learning this as He reminds me that when I focus on Him and allow Him to be the centre of my life, whatever He has for me will be above and beyond what I could hope for. As He has promised, He knows the plans that He has for me and these plans are to prosper me NOT to harm me, to give me hope and a future. 
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. We can’t always stop negative situations from coming our way. Yet, our Heavenly Father invites us to place those challenges at His feet and allow Him to do what we can’t.  He knows the good plans that He has for us. They will not change no matter what negative thing comes our way. It is about trust, it is about surrender...