July 25, 2018
What If Your Worst “What If” Does Happen?
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does (Psalm 33:4 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Some people just seem happy and positive all the time. They appear to never worry and fret. These people act like they eat rainbows for breakfast and ride a unicorn to work. But life isn’t all lucky charms. Sometimes it is just plain hard. We anticipate trials. Jesus promised trouble. “In this world you will have trouble,” He warned (John 16:33).
So what if the worst thing you can imagine does happen? What then?
What if my child gets sick?
What if my husband does leave?
What if I lose my job?
What if I get on a plane to go to a speaking engagement and the plane crashes?
I decided a long time ago, when I get on a plane, I’m either going to get where I’m headed, or I’m going to heaven. Either one is all right with me. I know that whatever may happen in this life, God’s still on His throne, and He’s in control.
Yes, worry is a down payment on a problem that you may never have . . . but sometimes you do have the problem. Sometimes the sinkhole is worse than you ever imaged. But here’s what you can always grab hold of when you feel you’re being sucked down: God will be right smack dab in the middle of your sinkhole even if your worst “what if” does occur.
What is your greatest fear? What worries threaten to hold you hostage? Perhaps you’ve already experienced your greatest fear. Maybe you have lost a child, gone through a divorce, foreclosed on your home. Perhaps you’ve already gone through radiation, filed for bankruptcy, or lost your job.
If you have already experienced your greatest fears, then oddly enough, you have an advantage over those who haven’t. You’ve seen that God does give you the strength to get through your most horrendous seasons imaginable. You’ve come out on the other side and realized that by the grace of God you’ve made it.
None of us would choose to experience the horrific losses or painful situations that are part of living this side of heaven. But some treasures can only be discovered in dark places. One such treasure unearthed by those on the other side of their worst “what ifs” is the knowledge of God’s sustaining power that got them though and held them up—that gave them the power to move on despite the losses and live bold despite the pain.
The truth is, the worst “what if” that could ever occur already has—what if someone killed the Son of God? What if they forced a crown of piercing thorns on his head, thrashed a flesh-tearing whip embedded with sharp objects across his back, spat in His face, beat Him with fists, nailed his feet and hands to a splintery cross? What if they plunged a sword into his side? What if they murdered Jesus? What if that happened?
Oh, friend, it is with tears in my eyes that I type those words. But there’s more to the story. You know the rest.
Death was not the end of the story. It never is. Three days later God rolled the stone away from the mouth of the cave in which Jesus was buried, and Hope walked out in newness of life—resurrection life.
Because of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ; because of the power of the Holy Spirit who now lives within us, we no longer have to buckle under the spirit of fear or go weak-kneed due to worry. We can live bold knowing that God empowers and equips us to do everything He has called us to do. We can refuse to bury our dreams in shallow graves of fear, but live in bold obedience expecting the best.
Let’s Pray
Lord, no matter what happens in my life, I know that You are faithful, loving, and kind. Help me to trust in Your Sovereignty, knowing that You are in control. Even if the worst “what if” happens in my life, I know that You can use it for good.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read Isaiah 43:1-3 and describe God’s assurance to you in your own words.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from my new book, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For: Let Go, Move Forward, Live Bold. Sign up for my blog at SharonJaynes.com and receive a download for a FREE Take Hold Coloring Book Journal. A mediocre, mundane faith is not what you were made for! In Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, I reveal the most common reasons we get stuck in our Christian faith, living less than what we had hoped. I show you how to break free of all that holds you back, move forward with all that God promises, and live the adventurous faith of bold believing. It’s time to TAKE HOLD of all that Jesus has already taken hold of for you and placed in you! Click on the book cover to download a sample chapter and view a quick video. And if you’re looking for a new study for your women’s group or individual study, Take Hold includes a Bible Study guide in the back.
Seeking God?
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Click here to learn more about hosting a Girlfriends in God conference in your area or having one of the GiGs speak at your next women’s event.
www.crosswalk.com
Some people just seem happy and positive all the time. They appear to never worry and fret. These people act like they eat rainbows for breakfast and ride a unicorn to work. But life isn’t all lucky charms. Sometimes it is just plain hard. We anticipate trials. Jesus promised trouble. “In this world you will have trouble,” He warned (John 16:33).
So what if the worst thing you can imagine does happen? What then?
What if my child gets sick?
What if my husband does leave?
What if I lose my job?
What if I get on a plane to go to a speaking engagement and the plane crashes?
I decided a long time ago, when I get on a plane, I’m either
Read More
girlfriendsingod.com
Some people just seem happy and positive all the time. They appear to never worry and fret. These people act like they eat rainbows for breakfast and ride a unicorn to work. But life isn’t all lucky charms. Sometimes it is just plain hard. We anticipate trials. Jesus promised trouble. “In this world you will have trouble,” He warned (John 16:33).
So what if the worst thing you can imagine does happen? What then?
What if my child gets sick?
What if my husband does leave?
What if I lose my job?
What if I get on a plane to go to a speaking engagement and the plane crashes?
I decided a long time ago, when I get on a plane, I’m either
Read More
girlfriendsingod.com
Table of contents
Publisher Description
Girlfriends in God devotions by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith & Mary Southerland is a Christian daily devotional for the iPad, iPhone and iTouch. This app is effortless to manage and easy to use, and gives you access to these popular devotions 24/7. You ll enjoy doing life with Sharon, Gwen and Mary as they link arms with you to share Biblical truths that will refresh, restore and renew you right where you are.
Just as God sent Ruth to Naomi and Mary to Elizabeth, He continues to use women to encourage and equip other women in their spiritual journey. Perfect for each weekday, this app features five readings a week that allow you to search for topics, highlight your favorite passages, and easily share your favorite entries with friends on Facebook.
Features:
DEVOTIONS: 260 encouraging and equipping devotions, one for each weekday. (A 52 week format or alphabetical.)
SCRIPTURE: Biblical references for each devotional.
SHARING: Share any devotion with your friends and family via email or Facebook.
JOURNALING: Journal your personal thoughts from any devotion with the Notes feature.
FAVORITES: Easily access the devotions you love with the Favorites feature.
INTERACTION: Connect to the Girlfriends in God website directly from the app (Requires internet connection through Wi-Fi or cellular network)
HIGHLIGHTING: Highlight your favorite passages and then easily access all highlighted devotions with the Highlights feature.
SEARCHING: Search for topics that are on your mind and see a list of matching devotions.
Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Girlfriends in God Devotional is a free trial software application from the Food & Drink subcategory, part of the Home & Hobby category. The app is currently available in English and it was last updated on 2011-12-01. The program can be installed on iOS.
Girlfriends in God Devotional (version 1.2) has a file size of 12.79 MB and is available for download from our website. Just click the green Download button above to start. Until now the program was downloaded 0 times. We already checked that the download link to be safe, however for your own protection we recommend that you scan the downloaded software with your antivirus.
Version History
Here you can find the changelog of Girlfriends in God Devotional since it was posted on our website on 2016-10-01. The latest version is 1.2 and it was updated on soft112.com on 2018-03-27. See below the changes in each version:
version 1.2
posted on 2011-12-01
girlfriends-in-god-devotional-ios.soft112.com
