God Knows What We’ll Face
“Quietness and trust enhance your awareness of My Presence with you. Do not despise these simple ways of serving Me. Although you feel cut off from the activity of the world, your quiet trust makes a powerful statement in spiritual realms. My Strength and Power show themselves most effective in weakness.”
– Jesus Calling, February 16th
One November morning, through tears, I shared with the women in my Bible study group that I was preparing to face the most challenging day of my life. In just twelve days, I would fly home to Wisconsin to plead guilty and be sentenced in federal court for having committed two felonies: making a false statement and misprision for having been aware that the company I was working for received kickbacks and for encouraging a coworker not to talk to authorities.
When my long-awaited judgment and sentencing day had come, I sat on a bench outside of the judge’s courtroom, taking in my surroundings. Staring up at the floors looming above me in the courthouse, I thought of Daniel from the Bible, specifically when he was thrown into the lion’s den.
During Daniel’s time, King Darius signed a law that anyone who prayed to someone other than King Darius, be they divine or human, would be thrown into a den of lions. Upon hearing the law, Daniel went home and prayed to God, but Daniel’s coworkers caught him and reported Daniel to King Darius, who then ordered Daniel’s arrest and punishment. But when Daniel was thrown into the den, God sent His angels to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt him. Not a scratch was found on Daniel when he was saved because he trusted in God.
Another fascinating story of faithfulness in the book of Daniel tells of three Hebrew men: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they refused to bow to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar, the men were thrown into a fiery furnace. But because of their devotion to God, God intervened and allowed them to emerge from the furnace unharmed (Daniel 3).
Trust me when I tell you that I felt like I was getting ready to be thrown into both a lion’s den and a fiery furnace. Taking everything into consideration, the judge felt a sentence below the guidelines was appropriate. I closed my eyes and waited for him to render his judgment. “Thirty- six months in federal prison and one year of supervised release.”
I honestly took the news of my sentencing in stride because of my faith. I chose to trust Him, accept my punishment, and be obedient. Later, early on in my incarceration, God gave four words to me: “Trust me for everything.”
At virtually the same time, I received Jesus Calling in the mail from a friend, and one of the devotions confirmed the importance of trusting Him. The takeaway message from the devotion was to thank God when we’re required to be still and to search for Him in these times instead of wishing them away: “Although you feel cut off from the activity of the world, your quiet trust makes a powerful statement in the spiritual realms.”
After I finished reading this devotion, God challenged me to list the ways in which He had prepared me for my assignment. The first preparation that came to mind brought me back to my childhood. As a kid, I had fun going away to Girl Scout camp, so I had already experienced and learned to cope with homesickness. And because I attended both a Catholic grade school and high school, I was accustomed to wearing a uniform like I had to in prison. God had also made me a small person, so I fit on my prison bed—which was basically a metal tray with a thin mattress—just fine.
I came up with more than twenty other examples of how God prepared me for my time in prison. My new list gave me confidence that only God knows what we must experience, both good and bad, to change our heart. And if we put our faith in Him through all of it, we come to see that He truly does work all things for good.
We might not know where God’s path will lead us or what twists and turns (or lions and fires) await us on our journey, but He prepares us. He uses tough, uncomfortable, painful situations to mold and conform us to His image so that we can be His ambassadors to others.
Look back on your life and see how God prepared you for the challenges and trials you’ve experienced. And in times of suffering or hardship in the future, remember 1 Peter 4:19: “Keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katie Scheller is an author and speaker who ministers to women in prison, including those who sit on Death Row. She is also the president of The Vivian Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping inmates and their families. Katie Scheller is the author of Call Me Vivian, Vivian’s Call, and most recently, Step into Prison, Step Out in Faith.
