What to Expect from God When Life Sends You the Unexpected

Have you been taken by surprise by the unexpected? Click through to read more about what you can expect from God at a time like this.

Sometimes life sends you the unexpected.

It’s an unexpected that you didn’t ask for and you don’t want. It came out of nowhere. Perhaps it’s a physical problem, illness, or the death of someone you loved very much. Perhaps it’s an issue between you and a friend. Maybe your child is making bad choices, or you have a spouse that has abandoned you. The list could go on and on, could it not?

It just seems like too much, doesn’t it?

When these things happen, there’s often no real answers in sight to explain the whys and the what ifs. It can be so painful and agonizing.

But one thing we do have is the truth. And the truth tells us that we have a God who is with us, who cares deeply and who walks alongside us in the most difficult of circumstances.

When you are walking that long and lonely road through the unexpected, here’s something you can rely on.

God is always who He says He is.
God is always who He says He is.Click To Tweet

These verses give us just a few glimpses into the character of God.

God is our shield.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11 KJV)

Psalm 84:11 The Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2, NKJV)

God is our helper.

Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who uphold my life. (Psalm 54:4 NKJV)

So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6, NKJV)

God goes with us.Have you been taken by surprise by the unexpected? Click through to read more about what you can expect from God at a time like this.

The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.(Deuteronomy 31:8, NASB)

Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.  (Deuteronomy 31:6, HCSB)

God will provide.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, NASB)

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3, HCSB)

I’ll just let these words of truth soak into your heart today, just as I’ll let them sink into mine.

Together, we can rely on the fact that we have a God who is always who He says He is. And this means we can know what to expect, even in the midst of the unexpected.

Because God is who He says He is, we know what to expect, even in the midst of the unexpected. Click To Tweet

Blessings

 

 

 

**The image above is a bookmark that can be downloaded for free from the Resource Library. You can subscribe HERE for the password, or you can look in the sidebar and footer below this post for the subscription box.  You’ll also find loads of other free printables in the Resource Library designed to help you in your prayer time!

Focus Verses
The verses in this article are linked to their appropriate pages at Bible Hub where you will find many more free resources for further study.

Let’s Talk
What verses help you know God’s character? If you’d like to share in the comments below, I’m sure that the verses you list will help encourage someone else!

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, sometimes it just feels like too much. Things are not what we expected, and we don’t understand. But You are a God who walks with us. We know we can rely on You to be who You say You are. And you’ve told us You will never forsake us or leave us. Thank you for loving us that much and help us to know it deep inside our hearts.

Next Week
Next week my friend, Maree Dee, from Embracing the Unexpected will be joining us. She’s written a really good article that I want to share with you! I hope you’ll join me!

*This article may be linked in other encouraging places. Click HERE to find out where!

The article What to Expect from God When Life Sends You the Unexpected first appeared at www.journeytoimperfect.com.

28 thoughts on “What to Expect from God When Life Sends You the Unexpected

  1. Your post is a wonderful reminder of the importance of being in God’s Word. How can we ever face life’s unexpected twists and turns if we don’t know who God is, his character, his past provision, and his future promises? We can face the unexpected when we know what to expect from our heavenly Father. Thanks for being a voice for affirming this truth!

    1. Amy, what you said about knowing Him is so true! Knowing His character makes all the difference in the world! Thank you for visiting today!

  2. Thank you for these much needed reminders and verses, Leslie. The unexpected can really make me crazy at times ;). Here’s one of my favorites in those moments: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” {Jeremiah 29:11} It helps me remember that just because something is unexpected to me, it’s not necessarily unexpected to Him :).

    1. Hi Candace, I love that verse. Thank you for sharing! And I love what you said in that last sentence. Thank you for stopping by today!

      1. Thank you for your encouraging words of scripture. I lost my son of 33 years four years ago very unexpectedly. One of the verses of scripture the Holy Spirit brought to my heart and helped me to be still and learn to trust God was Isaiah 55:8,9 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord. And My ways are beyond anything you can imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

        1. Rachel, I’m so very sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for sharing this verse. It’s such a rich and deep one and helps us trust Him.

  3. Such beautiful encouragement! God is the constant-our rock- in this ever-changing world. We need this reminder often, so thank you for sharing! I love the title- that is really going to stick with me when the unexpected happens next!

    1. Elizabeth, I’m so glad you stopped by today! It’s nice to “meet” you. And yes, He is our one constant in this ever-changing world. So glad to be walking this journey with you. Blessings!

  4. Leslie,
    These are powerful verses. It’s so important to know God’s character. If we don’t know He’s good, He’s love, and He’s sovereign, for starters, we’ll never be able to trust Him when times get hard. And they do get hard for us all. Thanks for such important thoughts.

    1. Yes, Donna! The power of knowing God’s character is a key to trusting Him and it unlocks the door to a deeper faith. It took me a long time to understand that in my own life. Thank you for stopping by today, Donna!

  5. We just had a suicide in the family and I’d say that no one can prepare for such news and in the wake there are a lot of unanswered questions. But the only thing that is constant is the present help and provision of our caring God. Only He can give stability when everything seems to shake and shatter all around us. Blessings to you.

    1. Karen, I’m so sorry for your loss. There are no answers at a time like that, but as you mentioned, we have His presence. I’m stopping right now to pray that your family will strongly feel Him as you walk through such a difficult time.

  6. Encouragement…oh such encouragement! Right from God’s Word blended in with yours. God’s Truth is so powerful and goes straight to the heart and soul.

    I am so grateful to be your neighbor at Messy Marriage’s Linkup. Thank you for the bookmark and your resource link too.
    Blessings to you, ~ linda

    1. Linda, I’m so glad you were encouraged by this. I love how God’s Word never fails to encourage and lift us up. Thanks stopping by today!

  7. Leslie, we are neighbors parked next to one another at Jennifer’s. #31 When my daughter’s fiance was murdered in 2002 I thought God had taken leave of His watch over our family. We were devastated. Then, in the grief and the silence of the aftermath, HE CAME. In power and in glory. HE NEVER FAILS.

    1. Susan, I am so sorry for your loss. That’s devastating. Thank you for sharing your powerful testimony about how God’s presence was with you. Yes, He never fails! I know this comment will encourage others walking through grief. Thank you.

  8. Thanks for the reminder that God is present throughout! I forget that when I’m going through a painful time.
    Great post!

  9. Leslie, Thank you so much for sharing. God’s timing was perfect for me to read your post as I received very unexpected health news yesterday that was quite upsetting, although my doctor said he is not concerned and reassured me that all will be fine – it was still extremely unexpected.

    These Scripture reminders refocused my thoughts to the Great Physician and the God of All Comfort.

    Blessings,

    1. Karen, I love how He sends exactly what we need at just the right moment. I love the verse from Psalm 54:4 that reminds us that God is with those who uphold our lives. That’s a comforting one when dealing with medical issues. I’m hanging on to it myself today! Thank you for sharing, Karen!

    1. Meghan, I’m always amazed at God’s timing. He timed this post just perfectly for me as well. Thank ou for stopping by!

  10. We really need these reminders from God’s word to help us to rise out of discouraging seasons and days, Leslie. Thank you for using God’s word in this powerful way–reminding us of how God remains true and steadfast in our lives.

    1. Amen on that, Beth! I love how God’s word is living and is there to meet us when we need it. I was pretty astounded today at how God used one of those verses to help me just this morning. It just came alive with a huge assurance for me, becoming even more impactful than it had been earlier. As you say, His Word is true and steadfast! Thanks for visiting, Beth!

Leave a Reply to Leslie Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.