In Isaiah 43:2, God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you pass through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned up. It will not consume you.”

The giant standing before you as a mockery to everything you believe in is a result of the last battle you fought. You brought this on yourself by trying to do the right thing, by attempting to honor God, to worship Him, and to be faithful to His call.

You’re trying to do right; you're the one that loves God and tries to please Him
Engage the lion who threatens your flock, destroy the bear who tries to make off with your lambs, and you get more than just a warm rug and coat; more than the admiration of everyone who gives you the title – lion slayer. You get to face the giant!

In reality, you are more prepared than ever to face the obstacles in your path. But you’re still recovering from the last battle, and would gladly trade the battlefield for the hillside. The loneliness and lack of pressure in the pasture sounds good, and you began to wonder if it is worth it all . . .

Joseph – you believed the dreams God told you, and you did all you could to share them, to explain them, and to act on them. Look where it got you! Betrayed by your brothers, lied about by your boss’s wife, isolated in a jail cell far from home, forgotten by your friends . . . but God knows where you are!

Moses – growing up in the palace, you always remembered that you were not an Egyptian; that God had a plan for you and his people. When you tried to act on God’s promises, you ended up running for your life. Now here you sit in isolation in a barren and desolate land . . . but God knows where you are!

In Psalm 73 we read the confession of the psalmist who says, “…even though God is good, my feet were almost gone out from under me because I saw the wellbeing of the foolish and wicked.”

It wasn’t until he went into the sanctuary of God that it all came into focus.
It wasn’t until he went into the sanctuary of God that he understood their end.
It wasn’t until he got in God’s presence that He was reminded that the pressures of this life are temporary, and that in the end God would never forsake him!

It is disheartening when it seems that all is in vain, but you are in good company -and you will see another day!

Abraham, you were the one who obeyed God and left everything behind when you were 75 years old, but now there is a famine.

Gideon, if you wouldn’t have torn down the altar of false gods everybody wouldn’t be out to get you.

Moses, you wouldn’t be a wanted man in Egypt if you would have just turned your head and let things go on as they had.

Joseph, if you would have just kept your dreams to yourself, your brothers wouldn’t have gotten jealous and sold you into slavery.

Simon Peter, if you wouldn’t have responded to the beckoning call of Jesus, you wouldn’t be wet and cold right now.


You wouldn’t be where you are today if you didn’t have enough confidence in God to cast your cares on Him. He came through, even though it may seem that you got more cares thrown back at you, He’s still the wave walker, and He still speaks peace in the middle of the storms of life!

Your setback is just a setup! God knows where you are, and He will be with you where you are going!