Preparing for the Unexpected

Editor's Note: Excerpt from the e-book, Preparing for the Unexpected: How to Develop Unshakeable Faith in God in Uncertain Times  by United in Christ Ministries of Canton, MI

We are living in perilous times, the likes of which we have never seen in recent history. Our society is so unstable that we do not know what will happen from one minute to the next. For example, who would have ever imagined that The Great Recession of 2007-2009, would drastically alter the work life of thousands of American workers. This disaster also took a toll on their personal lives since many were laid off from their jobs, lost their homes and experienced other setbacks.

The vast majority of people did not expect our country to experience the type of financial issues we have witnessed within the past decade. However, there were economists and others who predicted that these events would happen and advised people to prepare for the impending disaster.

 At the same time, we who were spiritually discerning noticed that a shift was taking place in our spiritual lives. We may have not known what was going on at the time, but God did, just like the economists knew about the economy trouble in which the country was heading. Through these difficulties, God was showing us how to face challenges by relying on Him.  

Preparing for the unexpected is developing an unshakeable faith in God so that when the unexpected comes, we place our trust in Him to see us through it. We did not expect our lifestyles to change as the country turned topsy-turvy, but through this, we became more dependent upon God.

How can you tell if you became more dependent on God?  If you lost your job, who did you cry out to for help more than you ever did before?  If you became ill due to stress and worry, who did you pray daily to for healing? As God reassured you that He had not left you, your relationship with Him began to deepen, even though you may have continued to question Him about what was going on. 

 Does this mean that God brings bad things on us just so that we can depend on Him? No, but God can use our difficulties to work out His Divine purpose for our lives. God wants to develop our character so that not only will we trust in Him, He can use us to reach out to others in need.

Those who have yielded to God's Divine work in their lives have emerged with trust and confidence in Him like they have never known. So, when the unexpected occurs again, we won't allow it to throw us off course. We immediately give it over to God. Similarly, when an unexpected blessing comes, we won't take the credit for it, as we might have done before, but we would truly give the glory to God.

   As God prepares us for the unexpected, what responsibilities do we have in this process? 

   • We must willingly submit to God's authority (James 4: 7) 

   • We must seek Him in our time of need. (Psalm 28:1)

   • We must learn to hear His voice and respond to what He tells us. (Isaiah 50:4-5)

   • We must thank, praise and worship God for what He's done in our lives. (Psalm 113: 1-3)

      Just as we saw – and will continue to see – drastic changes taking place in our country, we are about to see the most amazing changes in our lives as God prepares us for the unexpected.