What to do when you expected the best but received the worst

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There are times when after preparing and doing all that you can do for the best possible outcome of any endeavour, something goes wrong and the worst happens. It can come in many ways, and might happen at any time. But what do you do when your best expectations are met with the worst outcomes?

Biblical examples

The Bible presents to us various people who were doing nothing wrong when the worst happened to them. Good man Job unexpectedly and suddenly lost his kids and herds. Faithful David almost got suddenly killed when his master king Saul threw a spear at him. Joseph was wrongfully accused of touching his master's wife, when in fact he ran away from the wife who actually was the one who seduced him. Yet in the end, all three were blessed beyond what they could ever imagine.

Even the Lord Jesus Himself, who was the kindest, most loving of all was suddenly arrested, betrayed, accused of wrongdoing, and suffered a very painful scourging until He gave up His own life. Yet, at the end of it all, He ultimately defeated sin and death for our sakes, and has won the victory for all of us who believe and trust in Him alone.

Your turn

Friend, whenever something wrong happens and you are so sure that it wasn't your fault, here are some things you can do to turn that worse experience into the best that it can possibly be.

1. Know the purpose of the experience

While you might be tempted to just get angry at God for whatever is happening to you, stop and think for a while and try to discover the purpose of what you are going through. The Lord Jesus knew why He should go through all that pain, and went through it without fail. (see Hebrews 12:2)

2. See God's hand in your worst times

You need to realise that God isn't a bad God – He is a good Father who is our ever-present help in times of need. Think of David, who slew Goliath because he relied on God's help, saying "This is the Lord's battle, and he will give you to us!" (see 1 Samuel 17:45-47)

No matter what you are going through, trust in the Lord. He will always involve Himself for your good.

3. Trust in the Lord for whatever happens

You should trust God for whatever happens to you. Job declared a beautiful worshipful declaration after he lost all he had: "I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" (Job 1:21)

In the same way, trust in Him and praise Him at all times. He is always good.