Today, I fought discouragement
Because I looked at me instead of God
I looked at circumstances
Instead of Him
But then, I fixed my gaze on Him
And by the time evening fell
Discouragement had also fallen away
Looking at our difficult circumstances can often get us into trouble. When we examine what is going on around us, it is easy to think this is bad, this is messed up, and there is no way this can be resolved. It is easy to fall into the trap of even saying to ourselves, I don’t see how God can work through this, or fix this. Or, we jump right to questioning why He let this happen in the first place. How do we deal with this?
The best attitude we can have is to be grateful God can work in any situation! Nothing is too big or too hard for Him, and we don’t have to face any difficult situation alone.
I also refer to our view of circumstances as looking at things in the natural, not the divine or supernatural where God can work in powerful ways we cannot even imagine. If I only had my own strength to rely on, then I would easily grow discouraged. But when I look at God, my heart is filled with hope and awe because I know He does great and mighty things.
One of the greatest examples in the Bible of more going on than what is seen in the circumstances of a situation is the story of Joseph. His brothers plotted to murder him, but instead of killing him, they put him in a pit, then decided to sell him to slave traders. You know the rest of the story—he ends up falsely imprisoned for many years. Now this is a long string of difficult circumstances. Yet, if you read the story in Genesis from chapter 37 to 50, you will repeatedly read that God’s good hand of favor was on Joseph through it all.
You will also read how God delivered Joseph from prison and promoted him to the second in power in the land of Egypt. At God’s prompting, Joseph wisely stores food and prepares for the coming famine. He reunites with his family, and we see the most beautiful aspect of all in this story that has spanned many years of Joseph’s life. Joseph forgives his brothers. What is most remembered and greatly emphasized from this passage is Joseph’s statement to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Joseph’s story, as with many others in the Bible, demonstrates to us that God is always working in those things we cannot see…yet. God is working in and through bad circumstances…for good.
Take your eyes off the circumstance
And look at God
The circumstance can overwhelm
Until you remind yourself again
Who God is
Who you are in Him
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ~ Romans 8:28 (NKJV)