What steps can you take to trust God during trials, unlike Jacob? Jacob’s Crisis in Genesis 42:36 “Everything is going against me!” Jacob’s words overflow with fear instead of faith. When trouble piles up, we can follow a different path. Remember God’s Track Record • Psalm 77:11-12 — “I will remember the works of the LORD.” • Keep a running list of answered prayer, past rescues, unexpected provisions. • Reviewing that list counters the lie that your situation is hopeless. Grip His Unbreakable Promises • Isaiah 41:10 — “Do not fear, for I am with you.” • 2 Corinthians 1:20 — every promise is “Yes” in Christ. • Post key verses where your eyes will land on them when anxiety strikes. Turn Honest Lament into Worship • Psalm 62:8 — pour out your heart. • Follow Habakkuk 3:17-19: move from complaint (“Though the fig tree does not bud…”) to confidence (“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD”). • Lament empties the heart; praise refills it with truth. Speak Faith Before Feelings Follow • Proverbs 18:21 — our words carry life or death. • Replace “Everything is against me” with Romans 8:28 — God works all things for good. • Spoken truth tutors trembling emotions. Lean on Faith-Building Friends • Hebrews 10:24-25 — meet together and encourage one another. • Ask believers who love Scripture to remind you of it when you forget. • Isolation breeds despair; community fuels trust. Obey the Next Clear Instruction • James 2:17 — faith acts. • Take the small step God has already shown you—send the apology, apply for the job, serve someone in need. • Obedience under pressure shouts, “I trust You.” Rest in God’s Bigger Story • Genesis 50:20 — Joseph saw God’s good plan behind every setback Jacob feared. • Isaiah 26:3 — perfect peace belongs to the mind stayed on Him. • Trials are chapters, not the whole book; the Author finishes every story for His glory and your good. Choose these steps and you’ll trade Jacob’s despair for David’s confidence: “I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). |
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