God Will Use This for Good: Surviving the Mess of Life – The Perfect Christian Encouragement Gift Booklet for Churches with Grief, Recovery, and

God Will Use This for Good: Surviving the Mess of Life – The Perfect Christian Encouragement Gift Booklet for Churches with Grief, Recovery, and

Does it ever feel like life is out of control? Could you use the reminder that God is in control? When tragedy strikes, people desperately search for answers. Believers and unbelievers alike find themselves turning to God. Bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado tells us that though it may not be quick or painless, God will use this mess for good. In this booklet, Max Lucado will help you: Find courage to never give up during turbulent times - Trust God to help you through all of life’s trials - Remember that God will use every painful circumstance for good Scriptures for Your Turbulent Times also included Since entering the ministry in 1978, Max Lucado has served churches in Miami, Florida; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and San Antonio, Texas. He currently serves as the teaching minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. He is the recipient of the 2021 ECPA Pinnacle Award for his outstanding contribution to the publishing industry and society at large. He is America's bestselling inspirational author with more than 150 million products in print. Visit his website at MaxLucado.com Facebook.com/MaxLucado Instagram.com/MaxLucado X.com/MaxLucado Youtube.com/MaxLucadoOfficial The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast God Will Use This for Good SURVIVING THE MESS OF LIFE By Max Lucado Thomas Nelson Copyright © 2013 Max Lucado All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8499-2240-4 Contents A Prayer in the Dark Times.................................................viiChapter 1 An Audacious Promise.............................................1Chapter 2 Eventual Good....................................................13Chapter 3 You'll Get Through This..........................................18Chapter 4 Keep Calm and Make a Plan........................................24Your Response..............................................................37Scriptures for Your Turbulent Times........................................39Notes......................................................................49 CHAPTER 1 An AudaciousPromise She had a tremble to her, the innertremble you could feel with just ahand on her shoulder. I saw herin a grocery store. Had not seen her insome months. I asked about her kidsand husband, and when I did, her eyeswatered, her chin quivered, and theGod Will Use This for Goodstory spilled out. He'd left her. Aftertwenty years of marriage, three kids,and a dozen moves, gone. Traded her infor a younger model. She did her best tomaintain her composure but couldn't.The grocery store produce sectionbecame a sanctuary of sorts. Right therebetween the tomatoes and the heads oflettuce, she wept. We prayed. Then Isaid, "You'll get through this. It won't bepainless. It won't be quick. But God willuse this mess for good. In the meantimedon't be foolish or naive. But don'tdespair either. With God's help you willget through this." Two days later a friend called.He'd just been fired. The dismissalwas his fault. He'd made stupid,inappropriate remarks at work. Crude,offensive statements. His boss kickedhim out. Now he's a fifty-seven-year-oldunemployed manager in a rotteneconomy. He feels terrible and soundsworse. Wife angry. Kids confused. Heneeded assurance, so I gave it: "You'llget through this. It won't be painless.It won't be quick. But God will use thismess for good. In the meantime don't befoolish or naive. But don't despair either.With God's help you will get throughthis." Then there is the teenager I met atthe café where she works. She's freshout of high school, hoping to get intocollege next month. Her life, as it turnsout, hasn't been easy. When she was sixyears old, her parents divorced. Whenshe was fifteen, they remarried, onlyto divorce again a few months ago.Recently her parents told her to choose:live with Mom or live with Dad. Shegot misty-eyed as she described theirannouncement. I didn't have a chanceto tell her this, but if I see her again,you can bet your sweet September I amgoing to look her square in the eyes andsay, "You'll get through this. It won't bepainless. It won't be quick. But God willuse this mess for good. In the meantimedon't be foolish or naive. But don'tdespair either. With God's help you willget through this." Audacious of me, right? How dareI say such words? Where did I get thenerve to speak such a promise intotragedy? In a pit, actually. A deep, darkpit. So steep the boy could not climb out.Had he been able to, his brothers wouldhave shoved him back down. They werethe ones who had thrown him in. So it came to pass, when Josephhad come to his brothers, that theystripped Joseph of his tunic, thetunic of many colors that was onhim. Then they took him and casthim into a pit. And the pit wasempty; there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal.(Gen. 37:23–25) It was an abandoned cistern. Jaggedrocks and roots extended from its sides.The seventeen-year-old boy lay at thebottom. Downy beard, spindly armsand legs. His hands were bound, anklestied. He