Carol Hopson

About one hour before they were to arrive, I received a
very upsetting phone call, and there was nothing I could do
about the situation. As I hung up the phone, I asked the
Lord why He would have me receive that very difficult
news right before I was trying to encourage so many people…
and just when I was so busy and had so much still to
do before they arrived. God's timing seemed to be all off in
my opinion. But I knew that was wrong thinking, and it
didn't go along with what I knew from God's Word, so I had
to quickly call on God to help me change my thinking.
I sat down and began asking God for calmness, peace,
and direction from His Word. And as I sat there, God
revealed some very important, wonderful things to me.
First of all, He whispered to me that He knew all about this
situation…it wasn't a surprise to Him. That was so comforting
to me to realize that! God hadn't lost control; He
knew about this situation before the call came to me.
Secondly, He knew I would hear that news just before the
dinner, and therefore it must have been for my good.
We know that God causes all things to work
together for good to those who love God.
Romans 8:28
Thirdly, He knew that it would be a great concern to me,
and yet it had passed through His will. All of these gave me
instant comfort, but then He showed me what He wanted
me to do with what He had just revealed to me. Here are the
four things He poured into my heart that day…while dinner
was waiting…while guests were on their way…while much
still needed to be done…but while my heart was seeking His
peace.

Breakfast 2: Remember That God Is in Control
Yes, God knew all about this problem, He knew I would
hear it at this specific time, and He knew it would greatly
concern me. However…
1. He still wanted me to cast all my worries on
Him!
Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will
sustain you.
-Psalm 55:22
The word cast in Psalm 55:22 refers to actually "rolling
off" the heavy weight of the burden onto Jesus. I pictured
having a steamroller on my chest as the burden felt so
heavy. Then I pictured rolling it down off of my chest,
down over my body, all the way down and off my feet,
leaving it at Jesus' feet. Wow! That felt incredibly good!
2. He still wanted me to delight to do His will!
Psalm 40:8 says,
I delight to do Thy will, O my God. Thy Law is
within my heart.
For victory at this moment, I needed to delight in obeying
God, in giving my burden to Him, in letting Him
take control of my thoughts, and in continuing to reach
out to encourage others. In delighting to do His will, it
took my thoughts off of myself and my problems and put
my focus back on serving the Lord.
3. He still wanted me to trust Him completely!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do
not lean on your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your
paths straight.
-Proverbs 3:5-6


To obey these verses meant that I wouldn't fret about
what I heard, doubt that He was able to work out His
plan, or feel heavy-hearted with the burden. If I truly
trusted Him with ALL my heart, I could leave it all with
Him and walk on in peace.
4. He still wanted me to obey His words so my
steps would not slip! Psalm 37:31 says,
The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not
slip.
The previous verse tells us that this is speaking of a
righteous person who is right before God. What words
from God's law could I think of to keep me from slipping
into worry or fear? Here are two verses that God immediately
brought to my mind:
No soldier in active service entangles himself in
the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please
the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
-2 Timothy 2:4
The battle is not yours but God's…stand and see
the salvation of the LORD on your behalf.
-2 Chronicles 20:15, 17
Yes, Lord! I will obey Your Word and be Your servant as
I love and serve those whom You are bringing into my home
for encouragement tonight. Thank You for calming my
heart and giving me a perfect example of Your light, power,
and love to share with these dear friends tonight! Amen.


1. Do you remember the last time you were anxious or
fearful over some news you heard or what you read in
the paper or saw on the TV? Write down how you felt.
2. Now that you've gone through this lesson, what can
you do the next time you are faced with discouraging,
troubling, or difficult news?






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