Even Now: Trusting God in the StruggleНамуна

When you feel overwhelmed, victory can seem impossible, but it’s not. Even now, you can choose to trust and obey God. If/when you do, God will use it to Glorify Himself, advance His Kingdom, and accomplish your good. You win, regardless of the measurable results!

God may grant you the opportunity to do special things that benefit you and those around you in big, obvious ways here on Earth, the kinds of things that get posted to social media and make it into highlight reels, but He may not. Most often, the immediate payoff of your trust and obedience will simply be the satisfaction of knowing you were faithful and/or a valuable lesson learned that can be applied the next time a similar situation rolls around—no fanfare, no public celebration, no idea what kind of impact your trust and obedience have made until you get to Heaven.

And that’s okay.

No matter what does or doesn’t happen here on Earth, every child of God has the Perfection of Heaven to look forward to, where we will spend forever with God and His children who have gone before, where we will receive rewards according to our works, and where there will be no more pain or tears. What more could we possibly ask for?

Whatever the individual path God has laid out for you, remember this: We don’t live, trust, obey, or endure for the personal payoff, but for God’s Glory. HE is the star, not us! If what we go through and how we respond to it shows the world Who God is and proves what He has done through Jesus and if people give Him the praise and recognition He deserves as a result, then it’s all worth it—the good, the bad, the ugly—it’s all worth it! If people see and celebrate with us here on Earth, well, that’s just a happy bonus.

As you read today’s passages, identify the opportunities God gave Joseph to trust Him and the risks that came with them. Consider how Joseph responded, how his response benefitted those around him and God’s Kingdom, and how God had prepared Joseph for each opportunity. Consider how God might be preparing you for an opportunity to trust Him and how your proper response could benefit others and impact His Kingdom.