Blessed in the Mess

Let’s face it, life is often messy. And in the middle of a mess, it can often feel like God is a million miles away. That’s why it’s important to know that, regardless of your circumstances, God loves you, He is fighting for you, and He will never leave or forsake you—never (Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 13:6).

God doesn’t promise us a trouble-free existence. Jesus says, …In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NKJV). We will all face trouble and pain in life. But if we handle it God’s way, we can be blessed even in the midst of it.

In a Mess? Start Right Here.

Isaiah 40:31 (AMP) says, But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power.... There is a way to feel strong in the midst of our mess, and it all begins with developing an intimate relationship with God.

The greatest way to get to know God is through His Word. When we feel weak, discouraged, or overwhelmed, His Word has the ability to lift us up and fill us with hope. Just like we go to a filling station when our car runs out of gas, I often view my time with God like stopping at a “Holy Spirit filling station.” When life has worn me down and sapped my strength, I can go to His Word to get filled up again.

The truth is, we need God’s strength just to do what’s right. I wake up some days and don’t really feel like being very nice. But after spending time in the Word, the Lord gives me the strength and desire to walk in love and treat people properly.

When I first began my relationship with Jesus, my life was in a perpetual mess. But as I began to read and study His Word, then apply what I learned, things began to change. Little by little, God changed me from being weak, broken, and discouraged to someone who is now blessed, hopeful, and strong—spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

Maybe best of all, God helped me to enjoy my life all along the way…even while I was still “under construction.” And He will do the same for you.

The Double Blessing

Isaiah 61:7 (NIV) includes an incredible promise for all those who find themselves in a mess. It says, Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

I love this! Even when our circumstances aren’t good, God wants us to believe that He can do something good for us. In fact, He wants us to believe that He can somehow make our lives even better (give us double) than they would have been had we not gone through the trial.

Our part is to hope. When we have hope, we live with the expectation that God will do something great. Hope is a powerful motivator. Anyone can have hope if they want to. All you need to do is expect (believe) that something good may happen to you at any time.

If you have trouble being hopeful, start by saying aloud several times a day, “Something good is going to happen to me, because God is good!” (Jeremiah 29:11). You will find that the more you speak this and meditate on it in your thinking, the more you will believe it and the happier you will become. By doing this, you are renewing your mind (Romans 12:2).

The story of Job is a great example. Job experienced calamity after calamity, but God gave him double for his former trouble because he refused to give up hope (Job 1:13–19; 2:7–9). The Bible says, After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10 NIV).

The Lord gave Job double after he prayed for his friends who had treated him badly. To experience blessings in the midst of your mess, you may need to make some decisions and take some actions that won’t be easy. This includes keeping a good attitude during trouble, being thankful when there doesn’t seem to be anything to be thankful for, and forgiving people who don’t deserve to be forgiven or who have abused, hurt, or abandoned you. The adjustments you may need to make will come in various forms and in many situations, but the double blessing will be worth them all.

It’s so important to look beyond what is happening right now to the end result. Romans 8:28 says that God works all things out for good for those who love Him and are “called according to His plan and purpose” (AMP). And Genesis 50:20 says that what Satan means for harm, God intends to use it for good. This is really exciting when you think about it. When the enemy throws trouble at us, all he is really doing is putting us in a position to be blessed if we keep a good attitude during the difficulty!

Life is going to get difficult and messy at times. But if you can remain positive and focus on God’s promises even when negative things are happening, it is one sure way you can be blessed in the mess.