Let God Turn Things Around

…Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a two-fold recompense…. Isaiah 61:7-8 (AMPC)

I’m so glad you have chosen to participate in this Study! When we go through difficult things or have tough questions, that’s when it’s more important than ever to run to God’s Word for answers and comfort.

I want to finish with an encouraging message. When we experience a tragedy or suffer from a situation that doesn’t seem fair, God wants us to know that He’s a God of Justice and He can make wrong things right. Only He can comfort us, take the difficult things we’ve been through, and work them out for our good.

As I mentioned earlier in this Study, I was sexually abused and extremely mistreated by my father. When I turned 18, I was finally able to get away, so I left home the first chance I got. Soon after, I married the first man who came along because I was convinced no man would ever want me.

But this only led to more pain. We eventually divorced after I discovered he was cheating on me with other women and was even involved in criminal activities like petty theft. So, for the first 23 years of my life, I endured a lot of painful experiences that left me bitter, resentful, and constantly blaming other people.

You see, when we’re hurt or mistreated, we can develop a chip on our shoulder and have an attitude that says, Someone owes me. I sure did. For years, I tried to “collect” from people who had no way of paying me back. Because a man (my father) hurt me, I found myself trying to make other men pay.

Even when I finally married Dave, my amazing husband of now over 55 years, I took this attitude into our marriage and was unknowingly trying to get him to pay me back for what someone else did to me. However, as I began to read and study God’s Word, I discovered that God wants to be our Vindicator, and He can restore things others have stolen from us.

Isaiah 61:7-8 (AMPC) says, Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a two-fold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach [your people] shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [what they had forfeited]; everlasting joy shall be theirs. For I the Lord love justice...

God helped me to understand that no person can ever pay me back for what I went through, but He can redeem a situation as we trust Him. When I finally began trusting God to be my Vindicator—when I got my eyes off of everyone else and focused on Him—it was truly amazing what He began to do in my life. Over the years, the Lord has continually given me unique opportunities and placed me in positions of influence. He has blessed me with His Joy and surrounded me with people who love me. God has truly given me double for my trouble!

If someone mistreats you, refuse to stay mad at them and trust God to bring justice into your life. If a tragedy has occurred that makes no sense, don’t allow yourself to fall into bitterness or self-pity.Self-pity does not comfort us; it makes us increasingly miserable. Self-pity is rooted in fear—we fear we will never get back what we have lost or forever feel the pain we currently feel. Instead, when we are hurting, God wants us to run to Him for comfort.

Matthew 5:4 teaches us that the comfort of God is so wonderful that anything that causes us to mourn opens the door for the amazing blessing of comfort. If we believe that God’s Grace and Sovereignty are greater than any loss or disappointment, we can experience Joy even in the midst of sorrow.

I’ve known people who have endured tremendous tragedy yet remained peaceful, loving, and kind. Others have asked them, “How can you possibly go through what you have gone through and have such a great attitude?” One woman I know lost four of her children in a drowning accident, yet she was not angry or bitter, and she never lost her faith in God. She actually leaned into God even harder. God’s Grace and Comfort were poured out on her, and it was evident that the Comfort she felt was supernatural.

So, whatever’s going on in your life today—whatever you’ve endured and whatever doesn’t seem fair—I want you to know that you’re not invisible to God. He sees you, He knows exactly how much you can take, and He will help you through it all.

Remember, God is the only One Who can bring good out of what you’ve gone through. He is the God of Justice, and He can take your wrong thing and make it right.

Prayer: “Lord, thank You for your Unending Love for me. I pray that Your Word will be planted deep in my heart. Regardless of what I’ve been through, I believe You can make it up to me—You can take the wrong things and work them out for my good. I thank You for the wonderful things You are doing in my life, and I choose to believe that You are greater than any setbacks, questions, disappointments, or anything else that comes against me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

If you enjoyed this study, “Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People", we have good news—there’s even more! Check out the entire 7-day study by Joyce…and continue the journey of tackling this big question with answers from God’s Word.