None of us like to deal with the negatives in our lives.
It is not easy to go through difficult, painful, and uncomfortable situations.
However, if we train ourselves to trust God with our lives, He will make sure
to turn things around in our favor.
While we cannot control every circumstance of our lives,
we can keep a good attitude at all times. A great lesson I’ve learned is that
nothing happens to me; everything
happens for me. When I came to this
realization, I became a lot less uptight about the adverse situations in my
life. Now I know that my setbacks are actually setups in disguise. I’m learning
to trust God.
In 1986, I was living in a little Himalayan kingdom
called Nepal. My two brothers and I were young and heavily involved in ministry
in spite of the waves of persecution that dogged
the nation. We were trying to get more people saved and involved in our
ministry. My brothers decided to send the brightest in the family to America to
share the vision God gave us. We had saved a little money but mostly we begged
and borrowed to buy me a one-way plane ticket to come to America.
When I landed in Seattle, WA, I was so excited to meet
new friends and share about the Lord’s work in remote regions of the world.
However, my excitement turned to horror when the immigration officer decided
that I had the wrong visa. Even though I had a tourist visa for a short visit,
they determined that I was planning to stay longer. Because I could only afford
a one-way ticket, it didn’t help me clear their doubts. I was put on the next
plane to return to Hong Kong where my flight to America had originated. I was
devastated! The whole 12+ hours on the plane I couldn’t sleep. I felt so
disappointed, distraught, and depressed.
I landed in Hong Kong alone! I didn’t know anybody there
except for one missions organization we had had correspondence with. I went
around like a chicken with its head cut off. I tried to meet people and share
the vision God had placed in our hearts. I had no credentials and nobody
believed me. In order to be polite, they’d refer me to someone else. Long story
short, I ended up staying in Hong Kong for three months. It became the
introduction of our ministry in China. Later, my two brothers and I moved to
Hong Kong and I ended up living there for thirteen years. During those years, I
travelled to more countries than I had ever imagined. Amazing things happened,
both in my personal and ministry life. We reached millions of people. What the
devil meant for evil, God turned into something great! I didn’t see it at the
time but God had turned a setback into a set up. Friend, God always has your
best interest at heart. He is ordering your steps and orchestrating something
great in your future.
In the Bible, Jesus often asked people how long they had
been in their adverse condition. He asked the man by the pool of Bethesda, “How long?” He said, “Thirty-eight years!” He asked the woman
who was bent over, “How long?” She
said, “Eighteen years!” Jesus asked
the blind man, “How long?” People
said, “Since he was born!” Why was
Jesus so curious about knowing the length of time? I believe one reason was to
prove that no matter how long our setback has been, everything is subject to
change in His time. It doesn’t matter how bad or impossible your situation may
look today, God is orchestrating your comeback! Everything is about to change.
What looked like a setback is actually a setup.
Friend, did someone do you wrong? Did someone walk out of
your life? Are you feeling robbed of your future? Is there somebody talking
down on you? Did a friend or business partner betray you? Are you upset that
someone else got the commission check? Are you feeling as lonely, disappointed,
discouraged, and depressed as I felt not entering America? Today I’m here to
remind you that if you trust God, He will make it up to you. What the enemy
meant for evil, He will turn into something great. He has blessings in store
for you that you cannot even imagine. Don’t try to figure out all the why’s.
Let go and let God. Like Joseph in the Bible, He is about to crown you with
honor. You’ve been in the pit. You’ve been in the prison. Now is your time to
occupy the palace. Can you say amen to that? I believe and declare that your
best days are still out in front of you. Your setback is actually a setup.
Rejoice for the blessings God is sending your way. I’m praying for you!
“You have turned my mourning
into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me
with joy”
(Psalm 30:11 NLT).
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