The Element of Surprise

There are amazing times when surprises come our way that rock our world in the best possible way.  Then there are the unwanted surprises—the ones we could do without.  Personally, I dislike anything that brings discomfort, worry, or stressful moments of any kind.

When the unexpected happens, I immediately begin evaluating the situation.  Subconsciously, I start visualizing how things might have been done differently to prevent the bad surprise from happening in the first place—or what could be done to guard against it happening again.  Just after an unexpected event occurs, as it does with many of us, I can be knocked back on my heels until I fully grasp what is happening.

That is when I call out to God for strength, an attitude check, and the grace to subdue the anger that wants to take over my personality.  Sometimes that takes a little while.  I am thankful that, through the years, God has shown me that His grace truly is sufficient in all things.

No one likes bad news or unwanted surprises.  But such is life.  The unexpected will come, and I believe it is how we respond to those surprises that can either strengthen or weaken our relationship with God.

Casting blame does nothing to improve our situation or our attitude.  In fact, when we point our finger toward God and cry out, “Why did You let this happen?” we can unknowingly take a step backward from the very One who is greater than the problem itself.

Yet the Lord remains near, even in spite of ourselves.  He will never leave us.

God knows us, and He knows exactly how to handle every situation.  He can bring good out of what appears to be bad.  We simply cannot see the whole picture.  God can.  He has everything under control, and He will not forsake us.

This is where faith and trust go hand in hand.  We must believe that God will rise to the surface of every situation, just as cream rises to the top of fresh cow’s milk.  What may look like chaos to us is never chaos to God.

In the title, The Element of Surprise, the word “element” refers to a single action or occurrence—something that suddenly enters a situation and catches us off guard.

We know that good comes from God, while evil comes from our adversary, the devil.  But we must always remember that God is greater than the devil.  All power rests in the Creator of all things.  He is above everything He has created.

It was no surprise to God when Lucifer, the most beautiful of the angels He created, attempted to usurp His authority.  God is all-knowing.  Nothing catches Him off guard.

That means nothing that comes our way slips beneath His radar, so to speak.  No attack, temptation, deception, trial, or unwanted surprise can come against us without God knowing about it.

What we do with those things is what truly matters.

As Christians, we stand upon the power of Almighty God.  We are more than conquerors through the Holy Spirit who strengthens us.  The enemy may use the element of surprise, but surprise does not equal victory.

We have been given the whole armor of God to help us stand firm—to protect our minds, our bodies, and our spirits so that we are not defeated by whatever unexpected circumstance comes our way.

The element of surprise may catch us off guard, but it never catches God off guard.  And that makes all the difference.

When the unexpected comes, we may stumble.  We may become frightened, angry, confused, or overwhelmed.  We may need a moment—or several moments—to regain our footing.  But we do not have to face the surprise alone.  God is always there.

He was there before the surprise happened.  He is there while we are walking through it.  And He will still be there when we reach the other side.

Our responsibility is not to understand every surprise that comes our way.  Our responsibility is to trust the One who already knows the outcome.

The enemy may have the element of surprise.  But God has the victory.

Written by,

Papa Boyd