Ever just felt like everything you touched turned against you? The project you worked on in the office for weeks (or months) was suddenly shelved with little or no explanation; dryer (or washer) died with a load of clothes still in them; the oven gave out just a few days before your entire family is supposed to show up; you chipped a tooth while eating a chocolate chip cookie (true story). When two or three of those things happen to us in a row, we start losing it and cry out, “why me Lord, why is everything against me?” I know I certainly have said those words (and probably not with such nicety…).

Take heart though. As I was reading this week, I found that Jacob (Israel) said exactly those same words in verse Genesis 42:36:

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” (NIV)

Now before we are too hard on Jacob, let’s recall what he knew at the time he said those words. He and his whole family are facing a severe famine. He thinks his favorite son Joseph has been killed, his son Simeon is being held captive while the rest of Jacob’s sons return for food in Egypt, and the second in command in Egypt has demanded that his other favorite youngest son come back with them, or there will be a major problem.

We of course, have the benefit of hindsight, and we know that Joseph is alive and there will be a big reunion some time later and that God wanted to accomplish His purpose through this family line despite the troubles. But Jacob couldn’t see that at the time, and neither can we when we are going through troubles that seem to wash over us in waves.

Let us (me) take heart – we know that God is still in charge, even if our finances are taking a big hit, or our leaders do something we disagree with, or life in general just seems to stink sometimes.

I’d love to hear from you- what lessons have you learned through troubles that might encourage someone else?