Where's God in the Middle of the Mess

Have you ever felt like your life was falling apart and wondered where God was? 

There are moments when God's plan seems unclear or even nonexistent, but that isn't the truth.

There is a very real and practical hope for navigating life's most challenging times. 

God can transform our most painful circumstances into purpose. Your current struggles might be preparing you for something greater than you can imagine.

Romans 8:28 promises that God works in ALL things for the good of those who love Him—not just the comfortable or pleasant things. 

This doesn't mean God causes our suffering. 

He masterfully weaves even our darkest moments into a beautiful tapestry of purpose. 

We can ask Him the hard questions while we're confused or frustrated —"Why, Lord? Where are you?"— and we can ask God these questions while still holding onto the truth of His unfailing love. 

Remember this truth: just because you're in a messy chapter doesn't mean your entire story is ruined.

 God is still writing, still working, still faithful. 

Keep showing up. Keep praying. Keep breathing. The God who made you sees you and walks with you through every valley. 

Your story isn't over—in fact, the most meaningful chapters may still be ahead.

Let us know what you think - send us a text here!!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thank you so much for listening to your Encouraging
5-Minute Podcast.
We're Eric and Heather.
We are so excited to share thenext five minutes with you and
hope that you find someencouragement along the way.
If you're looking for moreencouragement, you can always
tune in to WPER Virginia's homefor encouragement and if you're
outside the listening area, geta direct link to download the

(00:22):
WPER app at WPERorg.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
If life feels a little shaky right now, you know
, maybe things aren't going theway you hoped.
Maybe you're asking thatage-old question God, what are
you doing?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Okay.
So we want to remind you of onepowerful truth God has a plan
for your life, even when itfeels like things are falling
apart.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, you're not alone and feeling like the world
around you is crumbling.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
No, a lot of people in scripture, like people we
look at as heroes, walk throughtimes where everything seemed to
go horribly wrong.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh yeah, I mean think about Joseph.
He was betrayed by his ownbrothers, thrown into a pit,
then sold into slavery, falselyaccused, imprisoned.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
But but God right yeah but God.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
He went through all that trauma, but years later
Joseph was given a position ofpower and ended up saving
millions of people his entirecountry from famine.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Okay, think about it.
So at any point in his life itwould have been so easy for
Joseph to think this cannot beGod's plan and then just give up
on his faith.
But it was not part of God'splan to bring those awful things
to Joseph's life.
But God did use those badthings to do amazing things in
Joseph's life and Joseph gaveall the glory to God.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, I read something the other day about.
God is much like Joseph.
We're not in prison right now.
God has put us in a positionright now and we'll see the
fruit of that at some point.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Oh, I love that.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
You know, like Romans 8, 28 tells us, we know that in
all things God works for thegood of those who love him, who
have been called according tohis purpose.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Now notice it didn't say some things, not just all
the good things, right, it saidall things.
In all things, God works forthe good of those who love him.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, god's not wasting the pain of your journey
, the heartbreak, maybe, thatjob loss, anxiety and confusion
that you feel.
He isn't bringing that to yourlife.
He's not an abusive parent.
He's weaving the pain thatcomes into your life into a far
greater story.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Maybe right now you're in a place where you
don't understand what God'sdoing.
Maybe you're thinking God, whyis this happening?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
You know and honestly .

Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's okay to ask.
Yeah, it is, because God canhandle your questions.
God can handle all of ourquestions and some of the most
powerful prayers in the Bibleare actually questions Like, if
you look through the Psalms, theauthor of a lot, david, who's
sometimes called a man afterGod's own heart, asked a lot why
, lord?

(02:48):
Where are you Lord?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
David questioned yeah , but he also kept returning to
one truth.
Lord, I trust your unfailinglove.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
And sometimes trusting God means trusting that
he is still at work, Even whenthere's no evidence in front of
our face to see it right.
It means holding on, notbecause things are easy, but
holding on because God isfaithful.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
You know you may not be able to fully see it right
now, but one day you'll lookback with all at what he does
with the hard things that you gothrough in life.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Look, if you don't remember anything else we've
said today.
We hope you remember this.
Just because you're in a messychapter doesn't mean the entire
story is ruined or even finished.
God is still writing your story.
He's still moving in your life.
There is a purpose, even if youcan't see it just yet.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, if you're tired , keep showing up.
If you're confused, keeppraying.
If you're grieving, keepbreathing, because the God who
made you sees you and his plansfor you are not plans to hurt
you.
They're plans to give you hope,to give you good things in your
future chapters, and he'swalking with you every step of
the way Can.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
I pray for you right now, god, for the one who feels
like their life is unraveling.
Would you remind them that youare still in control when things
feel broken.
Remind them that you are theGod who rebuilds.
Give them strength today, givethem peace today maybe peace
they don't understand butdesperately need.
And, god, remind them theirstory isn't over because you are

(04:16):
still writing it.
We ask all these things in yourson's precious and holy name,
amen.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Thank you for spending these five minutes with
us today.
We hope you've been encouraged.
Remember, god is not done withyou yet.
If you need more encouragement,hey, feel free to go back and
listen again.
You may have missed one or twothings, and if you do need more
encouragement after that, youcan always listen to Virginia's
Home for Encouragement, wper.
If you need the app, downloadthat.

(04:43):
Where you find your apps, justsearch WPER.