Being okay when everything is not okay sounds impossible. We live in a world where we are taught to look after number one, take care of myself, let others know what I’m feeling, be honest about how I really feel, and so on. So how in the world do we respond to the crisis we are stuck in?
Joseph’s Circumstances
During my morning time, I have been reading in the book of Genesis. I read a verse about Joseph this week that really stood out and started me thinking about this concept of being okay even though everything around us is far from okay.
As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him… Genesis 39:2 MSG
This verse teaches us a really interesting concept. You can be in the midst of a bad situation and things are not okay, but you can be okay. The circumstances around you can be really bad. Joseph was in a bad situation. His brothers sold him as a slave. He has been hired by a man named Potiphar. Now he lives in this man’s house, overseeing the other slaves.
Does Joseph want to be in Egypt? No, of course not. He would rather be home, but this is the situation he is stuck in now. Though he is in the midst of a trial or a bad situation, things are well with him. He knows God is still with him and hasn’t forgotten him.
The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best. Genesis 39:23 MSG
Joseph ends up in prison for something he didn’t do. Even then, in the midst of terrible circumstances, God is still with him.
The Story Behind “It Is Well With My Soul”
It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this idea. How is it possible to be in the midst of a difficult circumstance and say things are okay?
I can’t read a verse like this and not think about the story behind the beloved hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul,” by Horatio Spafford. Horatio and his wife Anna lived in the 1800s. They had four girls together. After surviving the Chicago Fire, they decided to take a break and vacation in Europe. Horatio needed to finish up some work, so he sent his wife and four young daughters across the ocean ahead of him. The ship Anna and the girls were on was struck by another vessel and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. Anna survived but their four daughters did not.
Horatio received a telegram from his wife saying, “Saved alone. What shall I do?” After receiving that message, Horatio boarded a ship to go get his wife and bring her home. The captain of the ship called Horatio up to the deck when they passed over the spot where the ship had gone down. Horatio stood at the deck and looked down. It was during those moments that he penned the words to the beloved hymn, “It is Well with My Soul.”
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soulIt Is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul
I can’t imagine what he must have felt as he stood on the deck of that ship. We can see from his words that God’s grace was with him even in the midst of horrible circumstances. Everything was terribly, terribly wrong, but Horatio could say, “It is well with me.” That’s the best picture we have of understanding God’s peace.
4 Things We Can Do Today for Encouragement
So do we just paste a smile on our face and act like everything is okay, even though it’s not right now? No, but here are some things we can do.
- Choose to believe that God has everything in control. We have to make the decision in our hearts to trust God and not panic. He is still in control. We have the choice to trust God today or to live in fear.
- Don’t focus on the negativity all around us. Don’t read all the negative posts about coronavirus on Facebook. Maybe skip the news and press conferences for a few days. Constantly feeding ourselves with information about something we can do nothing about doesn’t help bring peace.
- Find something positive to focus on during this time. Read a good book, listen to encouraging music, watch an uplifting movie as a family, start a new Bible study, take an online class, facetime with friends and family, send a note of encouragement to someone, try a new recipe, whatever brings life to you.
- My last and best tip is to spend time with God each morning. If you want to stay grounded during this time, develop a morning time routine of prayer, Bible reading, and journaling. If you want help getting a morning routine started, read My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time.
Four Songs to Encourage Your Heart Today
I love music. Uplifting music is one of the greatest ways to bring peace and encouragement into our daily lives. These four songs have been a great source of encouragement to me during these past few weeks.
Alive and Breathing by Matt Maher
I Know by Big Daddy Weave
The Glorious Unfolding by Steven Curtis Chapman
Sovereign Over Us by Michael W. Smith
Additional Resources
If this has been an encouragement to you, I have several other resources available that will be a help and encouragement during this time.
- Alleviate Your Anxiety Devotional. My husband and I created a 10-Day Crisis Devotional. You can’t stop the rain, but you can keep it from falling on your head. Find your way through the anxiety. Focus your thoughts away from worry. Fuel your spirit with hope. You can get this free download HERE.
- Journaling Prompts Worksheet One of the best things we can do when going through a difficult season of life is to process our thoughts through journaling. This download includes a journaling worksheet and 12 verses to claim. You can get your free download HERE.
- The Hidden Pain: When You Fear God is No Longer Blessing Your Life This is a book I have written and is available on Amazon. What do you do when you feel that God is no longer blessing you? How do you reconcile faith in a God who can meet your needs but doesn’t? The answer isn’t as simple as we try to make it. The Hidden Pain forces us to move past Christian clichés and shallow faith to embrace an unwavering confidence in a God who rarely does what we expect Him to. You can grab your copy HERE.
- The Faithfully Stepping Journal. Establishing a good morning time routine is key to making it through difficult times. I use this journal as part of my morning time routine every day. This six-month journal uses an easy format to help you grow in your relationship with God using journaling, bible reading, and prayer time. There are three covers to choose from. You can order one HERE.
- Fantasy Fiction Series. Maybe you just need an escape from reality for a little bit. A good book is the perfect escape! My fantasy series might be just the escape you are looking for. You can find those books HERE.
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