It is a joy to introduce you to this lovely reflection that Laura Barter Snow wrote with the aim of comforting believers who are feeling hurt and wrong-footed by repeated disappointments and discouragements. Inspired by a specific command that the Lord gave a man of God in 1 Kings 12:22-24, in which He revealed that a certain turn of events was His doing, Laura compiled this piece, in which she challenges us to see many things as coming from Him.

No single teaching can cover every aspect of life, but we can thank Laura for penning such tender and incisive reminders that bring both solace and challenge to the soul by reminding us that many of the things that we are inclined to regard at the time as bitter disappointments often turn out to be nothing less than God’s loving purposes ‘in disguise.’ Here then is a powerful launch pad to help us embrace the Lord’s purposes in many things that we may perhaps have hitherto been fighting. 

I have a message for you today, My child. I will whisper it softly in your ear, in order that the storm clouds which appear may be gilt with glory, and that the thorns on which you may have to walk be blunted. The message is but short – a tiny sentence – but allow it to sink into the depths of your heart; and be to you as a cushion on which to rest your weary head: “This thing is from Me”.

Have you never thought that all which concerns you, concerns Me also? “He that touches you touches the centre of My eye” (Zech. 2.8). You have been precious in My eyes; that is why I take a special interest in your upbringing.

When temptation assails you, and the “enemy comes in like a flood”, I would wish you to know that “This thing is from Me”. I am the God of circumstances. You have not been placed where you are by chance, but because it is the place I have chosen for you. Did you not ask to become humble? See, I have placed you in the very place where this lesson is to be learned. It is by your surroundings and your companions that the workings of My will is to come about.

Have you money difficulties? Is it hard to keep within your income? “This thing is from Me.” For I am He who possesses all things. I wish you to draw everything from Me, and that you depend entirely upon Me. My riches are limitless. (Phil. 4.19) Put My promise to the test, so that it may not be said of you, “In this thing you did not believe the Lord your God.” (Deut. 1.32)

Are you passing through a night of affliction? “This thing is from Me.” I am the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. (Is. 53.3) I have left you without human support that in turning to Me you might obtain eternal consolation. (2 Thess. 2.16-17)

Has some friend disappointed you? One to whom you had opened your heart? “This thing is from Me.” I have allowed this disappointment to come, that you may learn that your best friend is Jesus. He preserves you from falling, fights for you in your combats, is your best Friend and longs to be your confidant.

Has someone said false things of you? Leave that, and come closer to Me, under My wings, away from the place of wordy dispute, for I will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. (Ps. 37.6) Have your plans been all upset? Are you crushed and weary? “This thing is from Me.” Have you made plans and then came [and] asked Me to bless them? I wish to make your plans for you. I will take the responsibility, for it is too heavy for you, you could not perform it alone. (Exod 18.18)

Have you desired fervently to do some great work for Me? Instead of that you have been laid aside, on a bed of sickness and suffering. “This thing is from Me.” I wish to teach you some of My deep lessons. My greatest workers are sometimes those who are laid aside from active service in order that they may learn to wield the weapon of all prayer.

Are you suddenly called to occupy a difficult position full of responsibilities? Go forward, counting on Me. I am giving you the position full of difficulties for the reason that Jehovah, your God, will bless you in all your works, and in all the business of your hands. (Deut.15.18)

This day I place in your hand a pot of holy oil. Draw from it freely, My child, that all the circumstances arising along the pathway, each word that gives you pain, each interruption that tries your patience, and each manifestation of your feebleness may be anointed with this oil.

Remember that interruptions are divine instructions. The sting will go [away] in the measure in which you see Me in all things. Therefore, set your heart to all the works that I testify among you this day. For it is your life. (Deut. 32.46-47).

What an extraordinarily powerful as well as beautiful reflection this is. It is something that I have shared with people from time to time over the course of the years. Just as someone passed this on to me decades ago, you may well want to pass on to others this resolute call to trust and rejoice in God’s overarching sovereignty. He really does know exactly what He is doing in and with our lives.

At the same time, we need discernment to know how best to apply these truths in each circumstance that we face, and how to respond to the utterly different and often painful circumstances that we all go through. No one reflection can possibly cover every eventuality that we will ever face, for whilst trust and praise are our crucial weapons of faith, some situations are ‘engineered’ by the prince of darkness in such a way that they require actively resisting rather than accepting.

The Scriptures sound a strong call to ‘stand firm in the faith, because we know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.’ While we are about our everyday lives today, countless millions will be pressing in to beseech the Lord to find ways to turn painful situations around for His glory. There are times when we can only recognise the call to be companions with Jesus as His brothers and sisters in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that John declares are ‘ours in Him’. As we know, ‘we count as blessed those who persevered. We have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.’ (James 5:11; Rev. 1:9, cf 3:10, 13:10, 14:12; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9 and Dan. 11:32, 10:15).

‘Simple’ though these words and phrases may at first appear, this is definitely not a meditation to rush through at head-nodding pace. You might find it helpful therefore to try listening to it as well as reading it. if you do not have the software to listen directly from the website, you can always copy the words from this page, paste them into Word, and then click the Review and Read Aloud Buttons.

Take time to dwell on phrases that particularly light up to you, such as the Lord’s ‘longing to be our confidant.’ He is not merely omniscient in the sense of knowing everything: He wants us to consciously and deliberately share everything with Him.

Every time people came to see Jesus, they poured out their tales of woe to Him, whether concerning some pressing need of their own, or on behalf of others. Graciously, patiently, the Lord bends His ear and listens, though it must often cost Him much to do so. And as we do so, and our prayers ascend on high, the Lord is already planning how and when to best answer these many requests.

Every one of us who is pastorally-minded person must seek first to be a listener and then a pray-er: one who shares with God what has been shared with them, and who ministers His grace from that place of intimacy with Him.

There is more still to this concept of being a confidant. Jesus is eager for those who will seek to see as He does, and to feel as He feels – as opposed to those who seek Him only with a view to Him ministering to their needs. It is a delight to Him when He finds people with whom He can share His heart: those whose hearts are ‘gardens’ that are not always in imminent need of urgent remedial attention, but who are eager and willing to bring Him the joy of our loving attention. The Lord truly delights to confide in those who are prepared to still their hearts to be with Him in this precious way.

This brings joy to His soul, as well as to our own, and enables Him to share His heart much more fully with us about matters both close-to-heart-and-home and much father afield. (Ps. 25:14) As Laura reminds us so clearly here, all this stems from accepting the ‘things’ that come our way as being from Him – for such an attitude gives us both the heart and the head space to go deeper in the calling and adventure of being His confidant.

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you . . .
Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 14:1,27; 16:24)