How God Turns Setbacks Into ComebacksSample

God’s Presence: Your Anchor through Any Storm

If we’re not careful, the setbacks we experience in life can lead us to make foolish decisions:

Drifting from our goals. We hear the little voice inside that asks, “What’s the use of trying?” Then we stop striving for what God has clearly called us to do.

Discarding what we value. Sometimes, after a period of intense pain, our priorities change—we let go of what once mattered greatly to us.

Despairing about our future. We figure we’re doomed, we’re finished, and it’s all over.

As a pastor, I’ve watched many people react to crises in one of these three ways. I’ve discovered that the true test of faith is not how high you jump when you’re singing praises to God, but how straight you walk when you’re going through the valley of the shadow of death.

You’ll always drift in a storm without the right anchor. And only one anchor will really do.

One of the Bible’s most famous passages says it like this: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4 NIV).

God’s presence is the greatest anchor in any situation.

When you’re feeling hopeless, remember that God hasn’t left you. He is your rock-solid anchor. No matter how dark your valley, you’ve never been closer to God than you are at this exact moment.

When I make that statement to people as they’re going through setbacks, they often tell me: “Well, I don’t feel his presence.”

But God’s presence really has nothing to do with how you feel. The Bible says God is there in your darkest valley. That’s the truth—whether you believe it or not.

The Bible tells us, “I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us” (Romans 8:38-39 The Message).

No matter what you’re going through, God and his love are right there with you. That truth will offer you stability in any storm.

Talk It Over

What setbacks in your life have made you doubt God’s presence?

Turn Romans 8:38-39 into a personal prayer.

Think of a time when you experienced God’s anchoring presence in the midst of a setback. How did that stability help you get through the situation? 

This devotional © 2019 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.