When we think of setbacks in the Bible, Job is perhaps the person who first comes to mind. Not only did he lose all his wealth (Job 1:14-17), but he also lost his children (Job 1:18-19) and his health (Job 2:7). His wife then tried to convince him to curse God and die (Job 2:9).

After some time, three friends came to sit with Job. They were so shocked at his appearance that they sat with him, speechless, for seven days (Job 2:13). Eventually, when they spoke, they tried to offer human reasons for why such misfortune had come to Job, but in doing so, they unintentionally increased his suffering. Three friends blamed him, saying he must have some hidden sin in his life to repent of (Job 8:1-22; Job 11:1-20; Job 15:1-35), even saying, “ ‘Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who does not know God’ ” (Job 18:21, NKJV).

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No matter the tragic events that surrounded him, and the fact that he didn’t understand them, Job remained faithful. He held fast. He didn’t blame God or curse Him. Instead, when tempted to blame God, he declared: “ ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord’ ” (Job 1:21, NKJV).

We, too, live in the middle of this same battle. Satan afflicts us with pain, suffering, loss, and hardship as part of his plan to distort our picture of a loving God. In such times, we can respond in one of two ways: blame and reject God, or cling to Him with all our might. Although the battle rages around us, we must remember that, in light of eternity, our momentary troubles are but temporary trials (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). There is so much more to the picture than what we see here and now, and one of the great challenges for a believer is to trust God even in the darkest times. God has, in many ways, revealed to us the reality of His love. We must cling to this crucial truth—that of God’s love—even when we might not sense it at the moment.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NKJV

Last Tuesday, my fiancée, Becky, and I ran off to get married at a harbor on Tampa Bay. The next day, we took off for our honeymoon in St. Augustine, Florida, where I had reserved a hotel room with an ocean view. I asked Becky if we could take her car on the honeymoon since hers is silver and mine is black. I just thought silver was more appropriate for a wedding and honeymoon than black.

Wednesday morning, we left for St. Augustine when we saw the oil light flickering and realized the car was due for an oil change. We stopped at one of those quick oil-change places, thinking a simple oil change would fix it. As we pulled into the lot, the engine started knocking. After the oil change, as we drove a few more miles, we noticed the knocking was not going away. We searched for the dealership to have the car looked at, hoping we would not be set back too much. I have waited 60 years for a honeymoon, so I did not want any more delays.

However, the car never made it to the dealership on its own. It bit the dust and had to be towed. Waiting for the tow truck and then for the car to be looked at had already set us back a few hours. Now, how much was this going to set us back financially? Were we going to have to get a new car? Were we going to have to cancel our trip?

Strangely, the possible financial setback did not scare me. Getting married made me realize it’s not my money anymore. Also, for years as a bachelor, I have seen God put money in my bank account and take money out. I knew from experience that God had a plan.

I remembered when I got sick in 2009 before I had good health insurance, and a friend gave me a side job where I earned way more money than my medical expenses and ended up ahead financially. In 2015, I had substantial credit card debt, and then the church I was working for as a Bible worker had to let me go. Long story short, I was getting paychecks from my new Bible worker position before I even got my last paycheck from the previous church. By Thanksgiving that year, I had a new car and all my credit cards were paid off. Once again, what was supposed to be a setback actually helped me get ahead.

I assured Becky we would be in St. Augustine by early evening. We rented a car and were on our way. On our drive, the dealership called with bad news: the engine was ruined! But they quickly followed it with good news. Because of a recall, the engine was still under warranty and would be replaced with a better, rebuilt engine at no cost to us! There would be minor items surrounding the engine we would need to pay for, but the big picture was that we were getting a rebuilt car that would be much better than before at a very minimal cost.

We also got to our hotel in St. Augustine in time to enjoy a delicious dinner at a nice romantic restaurant before taking a romantic walk along the Atlantic shore.

Meanwhile, Becky and I were impressed by how each other handled the car situation. Instead of panicking, we prayed together and trusted God. We praised God that a few hours’ delay turned into us getting a better car. What we thought was going to be a no-stress, relaxing day actually turned into an afternoon of split-second decision-making: how to handle the car, how to get a tow truck, and whether to get a rental car or hire an Uber to take us back home to our other car. Since we were lost in the middle of nowhere, we had to decide where to find a rental car. By both of us going to God first, we worked everything out smoothly with no inconveniences other than a slight time delay. We even ended up making our own inside jokes about the situation!

Sure, I was a little annoyed that the romantic honeymoon I had been waiting 60 years for was being delayed. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere without a car was not how I dreamed of spending my honeymoon. However, on the way home, Becky and I agreed we were actually glad it all happened! It gave our honeymoon and marriage more meaning. It cemented my faith that our union was meant to be.

Why? Because if everything had gone perfectly and smoothly, neither one of us would have known and appreciated how well we worked together under pressure. All we would have known was that we could enjoy beautiful walks on the beach together. Now we know we can handle potentially stressful situations with the same peace, love, and even humor we share on a romantic beach. Having weathered that storm so well together made our romantic walk on the beach even more meaningful.

Be careful asking for Jesus to calm all your storms. Sometimes it’s the wind in the storm that gets you exactly where you need to be. Those storm winds are not always setbacks. With God’s grace, they are progressing. When I got sick in 2009, what was supposed to be a setback was actually financial progress. It happened again when I lost my job in 2015. And last week, what was supposed to be a setback on our honeymoon turned into not only financial progress, but also a deeper love, respect, and appreciation for each other than we could ever have experienced just walking on a romantic beach.

Imagine the throng of people on the shore of Galilee. They’ve been waiting for Jesus’ return since early morning, and as He steps from the boat, they press close around Him, following Him into the village of Capernaum. Suddenly, Jairus, ruler of the synagogue, appears and begs Jesus to come to make his daughter well.

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One of the people in the crowd is a woman who has been unwell for many years. She’s spent all her money on doctors, but she “was no better, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26, NKJV). She’s heard about this great Man of Galilee and, with hope in her heart, gathers what little strength she had to leave her house that morning to join the crowd. The press of the people feels almost suffocating as she inches closer to Jesus. And then, through the pushing and shoving, she sees Him. She encourages herself: “ ‘If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well’ ” (Mark 5:28, NKJV).

This incident shows Jesus’ care and compassion for the sick and lonely, and those usually lost in the crowd. Many that day were pressing close to Jesus’ side as they drifted along with the crowd, but only one intentionally reached out to touch Jesus to receive the blessing she so desperately needed. However, it wasn’t her touch that healed her; it was her faith that made her well (Mark 5:34). “The Saviour could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual contact of the careless throng.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 344. Jesus’ garment held no special power; rather, it was the woman’s faith and her choice to reach out to touch Him that healed her.

That frail woman, in her suffering and distress, could have stayed in bed at home on that morning, but instead, she deliberately sought Jesus out in the hope of healing. Seeing Him at a distance wasn’t enough; she drew close to Him.

Jesus beckons us to do the same today. He says, “ ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ ” (Matthew 11:28-29, NLT).

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Jesus had spent the day speaking to large crowds of people on the shores of Galilee. Jesus’ words would echo in the people’s minds for a long time and down throughout eternity.

As evening fell, Jesus spoke to His disciples, inviting them on a journey with Him. “ ‘Let us cross over to the other side’ ” (Mark 4:35, NKJV). Jesus knew a storm would come but suggested they go anyway. He had an important life lesson to teach His closest followers.

You likely know what happened next.

Consider these points:

1. Jesus falls asleep on what was likely the only pillow in the boat. The fishing boats usually had one pillow, which the driver of the boat, at the stern, sat on. The person at the stern guided the boat to the destination. So here, Jesus is in the position of the boat’s “driver,” but He falls asleep at the wheel.

2. Not all the disciples were new to sailing. Peter, James, and John were experienced fishermen. They knew the Sea of Galilee, and they would have known how to navigate a storm.

3. This is the only recorded Gospel account of Jesus sleeping. During one of the worst storms in their lives, when the disciples are ter­rified and think they’re going to die, Jesus is asleep at the stern.

4. The disciples’ response in their time of crisis is “Do You not care?” They questioned Jesus’ character and His love for them. Too often, this is also our response when we face hard times.

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It’s in the midst of hopelessness that we might try to save ourselves (like the disciples), or sometimes it’s when we feel pain or loss that we start to question or doubt God’s love and care for us. We presume that He should act in a certain way based on what we think and see from our human perspective. But, as with the disciples, it’s in life’s storms that God can work the greatest miracles. God is always faithful, even when His apparent lack of involvement doesn’t make sense to us. He’s in our storms with us and can calm the storm when we cannot.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

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Read for This Week’s Study

Mark 4:35-41; Mark 5:21-34; Romans 5:3-5; Job 19:23-27; Job 23:8-12; Luke 24:13-27; Romans 8:18,28.

Memory Text:

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5, NKJV).

One evening, as the sun dipped over the horizon, a girl was walking home when a dark storm blew in. She quickened her pace, knowing there was still a way to go. A lone raindrop fell on her cheek, then another, and, before she knew it, she was drenched. She started to run toward the front door of her home, where her father rushed to meet her. He had been watching her from the front window. As he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, he asked her, “I saw you just now, in the rain. Why, with every bolt of lightning, did you stop running to look up and smile?”

“Oh, I stopped to look up,” she said, “because God was taking my picture!”

What is our response when the storms of life come or when we have certain setbacks in our relationship with God? Do we put our head down as the rain pelts upon our backs or do we look up, knowing and trusting that God is there as we turn our face toward Him?

This week, we’ll explore some responses we often have when life is challenging. We’ll consider how we might use life’s setbacks to strengthen, not weaken, our most important relationship.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 13.

Sunday–>

This mission story illustrates the “Mission For All” objective of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan, which says in part, “Christ mingled, showed sympathy, ministered to needs, won confidence, then invited people to follow Him. The goal is to take a genuine interest in people, leading them to Christ and inviting them to unite with the Seventh-day Adventist Church as disciples of Christ who make disciples.” Read more at IWillGo.org. Watch a short YouTube video of Miriam at bit.ly/Miriam-IS.

Miriam, a 41-year-old mother in Zambia, didn’t feel well. Her head pounded. Her body ached. Dark sadness filled her mind.

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With a heavy heart, she went to the opening night of a weeklong evangelistic meeting in Livingston. At the meeting, she was befriended by a Seventh-day Adventist woman named Majorie. Miriam poured out the pain of her heart and asked for prayer. Majorie prayed for her.

Then something unusual happened. The next day, Miriam was stirring a pot of maize porridge on a fire outside her house at 11 a.m. Like many Zambians, she did her cooking outdoors because a national power shortage had left many homes without electricity. As she stirred, she sensed a voice say, Go and read the Bible right now. Leave your pot and read the Bible.

Miriam didn’t know what to read in the Bible. She went inside the house, opened her Bible, and read the first chapter that she saw. She was amazed. She felt like God was talking directly to her.

She closed the Bible and finished cooking the porridge outside. Then she returned and read another chapter. It seemed like God was telling her, “Do you know that I still love you? Live how I want you to live.”

Joy flooded her heart. Her body aches disappeared, and her headache went away. She knelt down and prayed, “Forgive me, God.”

Miriam returned to the evangelistic meeting in the evening. She darted over to Majorie and told her about what had happened.

Tears came to Majorie’s eyes when she learned that Miriam had heard the voice telling her to read the Bible at 11 a.m. At that exact time, she had felt an urge to pray for Miriam at home.

“Find time to read the Bible every day, and don’t forget to pray all the time,” Majorie said. “The Bible and prayer are the key for everything.”

Months have passed since Miriam began reading the Bible and praying regularly. Her head has stopped pounding. Her body has stopped aching. The dark sadness that once filled her heart has been replaced with sunny joy and a fervent desire to live for God.

“The Bible has encouraged me,” she said. “God is working through the Bible. If the devil wants to bring confusion, I just claim the promises of the Bible and pray.”