by Elizabeth George March 21, 2023
When something difficult happens in your life, are you ever tempted to ask, “What good could come out of this?” The event looks like a disaster. It feels like a disaster. Therefore, we quickly conclude, it is a disaster!
Corrie ten Boom, a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II and a woman who desperately needed hope every minute of every day, made this statement, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” We often need this reminder... as did the Israelites when they were taken captive for seventy years.
To them, it may have appeared that God was finished with them. After all, He had allowed both their country to be destroyed and them to be sent into exile. This must have looked like a disaster! What good, they may have wondered, could come out of this?
But God did not forget His people who were suffering in Babylon. And, my friend, He won’t forget you! God had a beautiful plan to turn His people into a beautiful new people with a beautiful new purpose. He is the author of history—and your own story. You are part of His grand plan. “'I know the plan that I have for you,' declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 29:11). Because He knows the future and is present with you even now, you can have boundless hope.
Put God’s Powerful Promise to Work
Finally, remember that no matter how bad things become, God has a good plan and He will be with you in every hour you’re in need.
Dear Lord, thank You that you have a plan for my life, and remind me of that plan to fight against defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Amen.
This watercolor design is a perfect addition to any room, and a great reminder of God's continued presence. Purchase and download this print here.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Recount God’s goodness in your life and the lives of those you love by making a list of His faithfulness.
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie ten Boom
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
by Elizabeth George March 14, 2023
Too many times in the past I’ve told others “I’m fine” in order to hide my pain and sorrows from them. The truth is, my thoughts pulled me down so far that, in private, tears regularly streamed down my face. Are you constantly thinking negative thoughts? Being a woman after God’s own heart is all about “minding your mind.”
by Elizabeth George March 07, 2023
As a young mother, I endeavored to “train a child in the way he should go,” so that “when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). A decade later, however, I wasn’t reaping the results I had expected. Angrily, I said to God, “But this isn’t the way it was supposed to be! This isn’t the way it went for this family here or that family over there. And this isn’t the way it was supposed to be for my family!”
by Elizabeth George February 28, 2023
The promise of Romans 8:28 serves as a lens through which you and I can have a godly perspective on life, from birth to death. Because of these words in Romans, you can know that our good God is working the miracle of using the bad—everything, from the most minor of incidents to the greatest of tragedies—for good.