What do we do when life doesn’t turn out the way we expect it to?

• We can cry and pitch a fit, shake our fists at heaven, and be mad at God.
• We can feel sorry for ourselves, become cynical, and rooted in bitterness.
• We can re-evaluate our faith, deconstruct and walk away.
• We can re-evaluate our faith, deconstruct and rebuild.

Or, we can hold tight to hope.

Jenny was diagnosed with cancer soon after she became pregnant with her 4th child. In a heroic display of faith, she decided to put off treatment so that she could carry her baby to term. Our church decided to take on this battle and fight with faith for Jenny to live.

I asked God to give me a “word” that I could pray over Jenny. He gave me Romans 15:13,

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

It was a good verse that encouraged us to keep our eyes on God.

But when Jenny’s battle lasted longer than we liked, I asked God if there was another verse I was supposed to be praying. I wanted to assure her family that God would deliver us the miracle we were begging for Him to deliver.

But on the night that Jenny died, my tattered Bible verse, printed in my own handwriting, was hanging over her bed. We circled around Jenny’s bed and sang hymns as we shared sacred space with her family. And in between songs Jenny’s mother said, “Leighann. The verse God gave you was for us…for now.” God knew.

I held Jenny’s baby when we buried her, but I knew that as much as she hated to leave her family, she faced her death with hope that resulted in joy and peace as she trusted in God. The hope Jenny had overflowed to all of us who were blessed to walk with her on that journey.

The words of one of the hymns we sang comes to my mind right now,

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” 

Here’s how you can choose to hope in the precious powerful Name of Jesus as you journey through your pain.

1. Realize that because you are the daughter God delights in, He is eager to hold you close in the midst of your pain. If you choose to press through your fit-pitching and into God’s arms, you’ll find them open wide. He might not answer your questions of

“Why?”

“Why me?”

“How long?”

and “What on earth is happening?”

But He will be a safe and secure place for those questions to fall. And if you let Him, He will tell you great and mighty things that will strengthen you beyond measure. Things like,

“I’m here.”

“You can make it.”

“Together we will get through this.”

“Shhhh…rest my child.”

1. Recognize that your Father loves you far too much to waste your pain. God doesn’t take your suffering lightly. In fact, the psalmist told us that He collects every one of your tears and cherishes them in His bottles. (Psalm 56:8)

If you are hurting, God is working. While all you might see is loss and confusion; you can be certain that He is diligently working behind the scenes to advance the Kingdom, move mountains in the lives of others, and at the same time develop steadfastness in you so that you will never be lacking in anything no matter what (see Romans 5:4, James 1:2-5 and 12).

1. Take full advantage of the opportunity you have right now to present a sacrifice of praise. It’s not much of a sacrifice to praise God when things are going your way. But to praise Him in the storm; that takes maturity. Praising God in the midst of your pain declares that you choose to trust Him, to honor Him, and to serve Him with no strings attached. Whatever loss or hardship or difficulty you might be facing, you understand and declare that it doesn’t diminish the goodness, faithfulness or glory of God, not one iota. And Your praise releases God’s glory and shuts up the demons that love to heckle and pester you when you’re down.

Choose hope my friends! And when your path intersects with others who need hope, be a hope stoker in their life as well. Lift up your head my sweet sister and friend.

“We serve a risen Savior who’s in the world today, we know that He is living whatever men may say …” 

Leighann McCoy is the founder of the Prayer Clinic ministry and the author of 19+ books on prayer and spiritual warfare. You can learn more about Leighann at www.leighannmccoy.com and www.prayerclinic.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighannMcCoyPrayAllTheWay

Instagram: imleighannmccoy

Twitter: @Leighann_McCoy

Strong & Courageous

On February 24, 2022, Russia began a military invasion of Ukraine. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking. Would I have the strength or the courage to live through a war? I have just watched a video from “The Baptist Women’s Committee of Ukraine. ” The video is challenging and honest. It’s graphic and a picture of the reality of war. The Baptist Christian women of this country are asking for us to join them in prayer. They ask us to link arms with them as they watch their homes destroyed and men, women, and children die.

I’m wondering whether I would be able to stand firm. Would I run to the disasters or curl into the fetal position? Would I give up and give in, or would I stand firm? Would I rally those around me to faith, or would I tremble in fear? I’m praying I would have strength and courage! I want to prepare for now and then the future.

How will I be prepared? How will you prepare?

The Lord led me to Joshua 1. In this chapter, we find that God is commissioning Joshua to take up the leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses. He gives explicit instruction to Joshua concerning his leadership of God’s children. I believe the instructions given in this passage are instructions you and I can apply to our lives. Let’s look at God’s charge to Joshua and how we can be strong and courageous when the war around us intensifies.

Joshua 1:1-6 instructs Joshua on the promise that God had given Moses. God refreshes Joshua’s memory. God reminds Joshua He was going to do what He had promised Moses. Joshua was to lead the people into the land. He was to take the land and to know that no one would be able to stand against him. Just as God promised Moses, He would do for Joshua. He was going to be with Him. He was not going to leave him or forsake him. 

To remain strong and courageous: (vs. 1-6) Let’s remember, God always does what He promises. He will never leave us or forsake us, and just as He promised Joshua not to leave Him – He will never leave us! If Jesus is our Savior, then we can trust God never to leave us or forsake us.

To remain strong and courageous:(vs. 7-8)  We must stay in the Word of the Lord. God instructed Joshua not to turn to the right or the left but to keep to the straight path of the Law; you and I are to stay in the Word of God and apply His truth to our lives. Let His living Word guide us and keep us strong in our faith. No matter what the circumstances, we must stay in the Word!

Finally, to remain strong and courageous:(vs. 9) We must throw off fear. Fear is paralyzing. Fear is crippling. In addition, we cannot allow panic or be dismayed. Don’t wring our hands in hopeless desperation and exclaim foolish things but instead declare and remember our position with our Lord and believe that He will never leave us or forsake us.  

As we watch this historic crisis unfold, you and I need to become strong and courageous women. There have been many in Scripture. We will name a few in the coming weeks. In the meantime, women everywhere should pray for our sisters in Ukraine. 

Pray for the following things:

Perseverance – while they stay safe and protect those they can or if they escape their homeland, may they find

Provision – Physical and Emotional. Pray that our God will meet their essential needs of food, shelter, and clothing.

And finally, pray for their Peace – the kind of peace that passes all understanding. Peace that will carry them through the darkest of days and lead them to the only One who will give true peace.

And as I close, I am praying that you and I will do what God commanded Joshua. May we understand that our God will always do what He said He would do. May we focus on those things with eternal value and release temporal things.  

May we hide His Word in our hearts and try to keep His Word as a supreme guide for our lives. And finally, do not lose hope and live in fear but be strong and courageous in the Lord!

I’m praying for all of us and cheering us on in the Lord! Maranatha, my sisters! Maranatha!

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