When It Feels Like Everything Is Against You
There are seasons in life when it seems like everything is falling apart at once. That is where Jacob was when his sons returned from Egypt. Joseph seemed gone. Simeon was being held there. And now Benjamin, the son he loved deeply, would have to go too. From Jacob’s point of view, the situation looked unbearable. So, he cried out, Everything happens to me! (Genesis 42:36). If we are honest, many of us have said the same thing in one form or another.
God Is Working Behind What You Cannot See
But Jacob could not see the whole story. The Lord was not working against him; the Lord was working for him. Joseph was alive. Simeon would be released. Benjamin would be protected. The family would be reunited. What looked like loss was actually the path God used to preserve His covenant family. Scripture says, You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people (Genesis 50:20). That is divine providence. God rules over what we understand and what we do not understand, and He is never absent in the lives of His people.
When Your Heart Says, “Everything Happens to Me”
We often do exactly what Jacob did. We look at a painful moment and assume we know the whole plan of God. We judge the whole story by one hard chapter. When prayers seem unanswered, when plans fall through, when grief settles in, and when heaven feels silent, we are tempted to say, “Everything happens to me.” But the believer walks by faith, as 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, For we walk by faith, not by sight. And Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us, Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! What we cannot see is not more real than what God has said.
Romans 8:28 Is Still True
The Word of God says, We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). That does not mean all things are good in themselves. Sin is still evil. Suffering is still painful. Loss is still real. But in the sovereign grace of God, all things are brought together for the spiritual good of His people and for His glory. This promise belongs to those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose. It is not a general promise to the whole world. It is a covenant promise to believers, rooted in the character of God and secured by His saving purpose in Christ.
Look to Christ
If anyone could have said, “Everything happens to me,” it was our Lord Jesus on the way to the cross. He was betrayed, rejected, condemned, beaten, and crucified. Yet the cross was not the failure of God’s plan; it was the center of it. Acts 2:23 says Jesus was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge. And through His death and resurrection, God brought the greatest good out of the darkest evil. The risen Christ proves forever that God can turn what looks like defeat into everlasting victory. Because Christ is risen, the believer has every reason to trust the Father even in the darkest night.
A Closing Appeal
So where do you stand today? Will you live by Jacob’s fearful conclusion, or by the promises of God fulfilled in Jesus Christ? If you belong to Christ, do not surrender to despair. Trust the Lord’s providence even when you cannot trace His hand. Bring your grief, your confusion, and your weakness to Him. He is faithful. And if you have not yet turned to Christ in repentance and faith, come to Him now. The same Savior who died and rose again receives all who call on His name. Rest in Him, believe His Word, and let your heart say not, “Everything happens to me,” but The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid (Psalm 118:6).
Copyright © 2006–2026 by Miguel J. Gonzalez Th.D.
Dr. Miguel J. Gonzalez is the Founder and President of Reasons for Faith International Ministries. He served as a pastor for ten years in Charlotte, NC and has taught in churches and conferences throughout the United States. He currently hosts the Time in the Word and Truth To Live By podcasts and writes at KnowingChristianity.blogspot.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
