Let God Turn Your Mess Into Something Beautiful

In the Old Testament, we see a lot of messy people with dysfunctional lives. This is good news for us. Let God turn your mess into something beautiful. #Biblestudy #Joshua #WomensBibleStudy #GoodMorningGirls

Messes come in a lot of different ways.  Sometimes they come through a strain in a relationship, a misunderstanding with a family member, a mistake at work or perhaps a financial mistake at home.  We all have regrets, failures, temptations, struggles with certain sins and past pain and failures that can trip us up in life.

You may be looking at your life and thinking:  “the mess I am in is absolutely, hands down – NOT beautiful.

You may have already decided that your situation is not redeemable and you are run down, depleted, defeated and want to run for the hills and escape your mess.

But your story is not done being written by God.  Join me on today’s video as we look at a woman whose life was a mess but through her faith in God – God made her story beautiful.

{if you are reading this in an email or feed – click here to view the video}

As we began our study in the book of Joshua this week, we saw two contrasting characters.

In Chapter 1, was Joshua.  He was born an Israelite.  He was a worshiper of the one true God.  He was an assistant to Moses and was commissioned to be the one who would lead God’s people into the Promised Land.

In Chapter 2, was Rahab.  She was born a gentile.  She worshipped pagan gods and sold her body for money BUT…through her faith in God…she became engrafted into the family of God!

Joshua and Rahab had very different backgrounds.

We all have very different backgrounds.

Some of us were born into Christian homes and others of us were not. None of us had any control over who our parents would be or how we would be raised. All of us have been dealt different hands but what God requires of us all is the same –

Faith.

We all are sinners, saved by nothing more than God’s grace alone.  And we all have different struggles and different messes we have made over our lifetime.

I don’t know what mess you are in today… but this I do know – through faith, God can turn your life completely around.  God can turn your mess into something beautiful if you will surrender all of yourself – including your mess – to Him.

Rahab was caught up in a mess as a prostitute but through her courageous faith in God, He turned her life around and saved not only her but her family as well.  God looked beyond her sinfulness and adopted her into the family of God and God looks beyond our sinfulness and calls us his daughters. We are HIS!

But this is important to remember. Surrendering to God takes courage and when we surrender our mess we must remember this…God doesn’t always take our mess and tie it up neatly in a pretty bow with a happy ending. What He wants to do is use our mess – use our story – use our pain, heartaches, struggles and past –to comfort, encourage and help others.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
~2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Let the Lord redeem your mess today – take it to His throne in prayer. Confess any sin you need to confess and lay down all your past mistakes and sins at His feet in faith and ask Him to make it beautiful.

Then watch and wait.

Be patient and wait on the Lord – He’s got this.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
~Ecclesiastes 3:11

Walk with the King,

Courtney

**Chime In**

What mess are you handing over to God today to make beautiful?
Share it in the comment section and let’s pray for one another.

40 Comments

  1. God doesn’t always take our mess and tie it up neatly in a pretty bow with a happy ending. What He wants to do is use our mess – use our story – use our pain, heartaches, struggles and past –to comfort, encourage and help others.

    That last statement you made just tied into what a friend was sharing with me.

    I just went to lunch with a friend who lost her husband in middle age to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). His children were not believers. But as she was giving his son a book he had wanted him to have about the Lord. He said I would not have read this book before, but now I will after I have seen what God has done in my father’s life.

    Now his father had just died from ALS. But this unbeliever did not see this as God failing his father. He saw how his father walked through this and recognized that God worked through his father.

    What an amazing testimony and truly the Holy Spirit had to reveal this to this man.

  2. Just a few weeks ago my husband and I had gone further than ever before with an argument. We had never really raised our voices at one another before until this night. I had felt so defeated in the last few months, like our marriage was falling apart and I was doing everything I could to fix it, but it wasn’t working. I was trying so hard to be the best wife I could. But I hadn’t handed it over to God. I was building up frustration with my husband I couldn’t let go of. I couldn’t forgive and move past it, it was building up inside me. I left our mess at Gods feet that night. I sat on the floor in a ball singing to him. I can’t imagine my broken heart was part of his plan but thy will be done. Whatever his will was I was going to have faith in Him. We changed that night. I changed. Our relationship changed. I started reading women living well the next day. I started working on changing me and not my husband. And working on being a godly wife for my husband. I am still working through the 10 day challenge now. And have already gotten the 31 days of prayer for my husband book and got him the one for him to pray for me if he wants to so we can start that soon. But I feel like the world was lifted off my shoulders. My kids and I are doing the Joshua readings together, deciding what need to be highlighted what color. I am being a better mom now that my marriage is in better order. God first, my husband second, the kids third. I can’t tell everyone how much has changed, how much I have changed since that night.

    1. Thanks for sharing your personal story. Sometimes we try to “fix” things ourselves, when what we need is to humble ourselves before our God, ask God to work on us, and most importantly, let God work out His plan. He knows His peoples hearts and thoughts. He talks to us, to our heart. Thanks be to God!!!

  3. I am still building up the courage to share my mess and it has snowballed into other messes!! I really really needed this message today – I felt like maybe my mess was too shameful for God to redeem but maybe there is hope – thank you for your honesty Courtney. I have been married less than a year and don’t have many great role models of Christian wives/women in my life so your ministry helps me so so much. Xx

    1. Christina,

      Shame is NOT from the Lord. When we confess our sin – he is faithful to forgive it. Do not let the enemy hold you down – you have been set free by the blood of the lamb – now go and live freely and use your story of God’s grace to free others!

      There is always hope!

      Lots of Love,
      Courtney

  4. My daughter has a BA social science degree and unemployed. 32 years old. Gripped with fear as she needs to do her drivers test on Monday

    Im turning this mess to God #cape town south Africa

    1. Gillian,

      Thank you for sharing this – I am praying for your daughter right now as I sit at my computer. God has a plan – hold on to hope and trust in Him.

      Lots of Love,
      Courtney

  5. Courtney, thank you again!!! You are always such an encouragement to me to “keep walking with the King”!

  6. My husband was recently diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s. This new mess has been very difficult to process, but I know that God will see me through this. Without my faith, I don’t know that I would be able to navigate this mess, but through him, all things are possible. I pray every day that my husband will find strength in God and that he will develop a strong personal relationship with God while he still can. I ask for your prayers for courage, strength and faith for our family as this disease progresses.

    1. Linda,

      I’m so sorry to hear this. What a difficult road you are on and heartbreaking. I am pausing and praying for both you and your husband right now. Keep holding onto God as your anchor in this storm. You are not alone. He loves you.

      Lots of Love,
      Courtney

  7. Yes God honours those who honour Him.
    No matter what our past looks like.
    What does honour look like?
    TRUST AND OBEY…☺

  8. Life is messy because this world is broken and sin has entered, but we have this hope through Christ the redeemer. With my son’s schizophrenia and my husband’s like of alcohol it is a different path this what I would like, but l take heart In That passage to comfort others as you have been comforted. Thankful for therapists, medicine and doctors who truly care , very thankful

    1. Debbie,

      You are so right – this world is broken. I am so thankful this world is not our home – we are just passing through. We have a great hope in Jesus. Keep trusting in him and using your mess to comfort others.

      I am saying a prayer for you now.
      Lots of Love,
      Courtney

  9. Thank you for this. I’ve been suffering with depression for a while now and it’s really helped me make a mess of lots of things in my life. I lost my job friends and house because I couldn’t motivate myself to move forward. I struggle with this all the time. I feel like a complete failure and like I’ll never be good enough to be worthy of God. It was good to hear this video today because I would like my mess to help others. I’m going to pray that God will help me out this dark hole and to be able to help someone else.

    1. Caroline,

      My heart is heavy for you today. You do not have to do anything to become worthy of God’s love. He loves you just as you are. Mistakes, failures, flaws and all. You are his daughter and he loves you. He will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) You have believed the lies of this world for too long. Truth sets us free. Do not look back – forget what is behind you and get up and begin again. There is hope. God has a plan for you – be in His Word daily (remember the truth sets you free) and follow Him. He loves you so.

      I am saying a prayer for you now.

      Lots of Love
      Courtney

  10. Good morning, yes this morning to the Lord, I give my “mess” to the Lord again! 🙂 I think this abiding thing requires that. Funny how whenever I think it my mess I often go back to my testimony before and when I came to Christ, but it’s true, that we don’t stop sinning or being disobedient, but rather we have the Spirit to prompt our conscience now to truly show us what is wrong. I think like you said it does require courage, and a knowledge of who we are in Him, so we don’t feel like are sins are us, but our value is in Him and what He says about it. It comes down to His grace, and also that says a lot about how I extend grace to others if I believe the same about them and how God sees them. Although hard since I haven’t seen the fruit, I will trust the Lord with this mess, the struggles in my relationships and my marriage, knowing He works all things for good. So Lord please move powerfully in my life and the lives of the women here, so have issues bigger than ourselves and need your power to overcome. In Jesus name, amen.

  11. I love reading your blog Courtneym it really encourages me to dig deeper into God’s word so I just wanted to say thank you so much!

    I wrote a blog post with my whole testimony where I wanted to share how God healed me from cancer. You are invited to read it 🙂

    Have a blessed day everyone!

  12. Courtney,
    I have to tell you this Devotional is amazingly the best I have read so far. It touched me in my time of need and undoubtably will comfort anyone who reads it.

    Thank God for giving you the gift of sharing his word, and doing it so elegantly.

    Love in Christ,

    Sarah E. Smith

  13. I’m trying to keep hope and faith while having an angry alcoholic husband to deal with. I work daily at leaving it at the feet of Jesus, but sometimes it is so difficult. Staying in the Word and praying keeps my sanity.

  14. “God doesn’t always take our mess and tie it up neatly in a pretty bow with a happy ending. What He wants to do is use our mess – use our story – use our pain, heartaches, struggles and past –to comfort, encourage and help others.” Thank you, Courtney, for the reminder that God’s plan is good and He will never, no never forsake us — even in our messes. I also appreciate so much the visit this week with Rahab. There are divisions in my family that are painful. As you talked about Rahab and her family, I was encouraged that my prayers and requests before God are honored by Him. Though not together, I’ll keep laying my family before Him. HE is able to do above and beyond all that we think or know.

  15. reminds me of the song “Something Beautiful” by Steven Curtis Chapman: my memory of some of the lyrics:
    God’s gonna turn it into something different, God’s gonna turn it into something new. God’s gonna take the broken pieces and make something beautiful, like only he could.

    The youtube version of the entire song:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIfdDLXuuUg

  16. my life is a mess.Have bees staying with my fiance for the past 6 yrs.but since end of 2014 we have bad arguments and shouts at me alot.he hasd also cheated self times which i forgave him.Have been praying and believing God to heal my relationship.few times we ok then its war.last week we had an argument that ended up him hitting me several times my face stil is swollen of a punch he punched on my face.we hav a daughter and am 4month’s pregnant.have move out of his house and gone back home now.am jobless an i dont know were to start from have let go and now am trusting God for my daughter,my unborn baby and myself.

    1. I will be praying for you, Miriam. I am glad to hear that you are no longer in an abusive environment. I will pray that the Lord will guide your decisions as you go through this difficult transition.

  17. My son’s wife ( I no longer call her my daughter in law because of how she treats me and humiliates me in front of people) has not talked to me in a civil manner for nearly five years. I kept wondering what I did. I’ve sent her cards, texted her, asked my son what was wrong and nothing has been resolved. Speaking with her is not an option. I have recently figured out it is the very fact I live and breath that must bother her ????
    I love this family so much but I am not welcome in their home and they won’t come to mine. The only time I see my beautiful grandchildren is in passing at church or at the field when my grandson plays a sport. To have a relationship as a grandmother with them has disintegrated as well. My heart is truly broken and I have prayed so hard but I just have given up on this changing. We go to church together thankfully with a large congregation so hopefully it isn’t noticeable that she doesn’t speak but it makes me uncomfortable. Please pray for me and my precious family that I love so dearly. Except for how she treats me, she is a wonderful wife to my son and a wonderful mother to my grands ❤️

  18. Messed are very hard to fix I am not sure how mine will end but I so lost from trying to figure it out that I don’t know where to turn
    I keep praying but see no change in my career, finances, and life in general. I lost.

  19. Please pray for my mess life.i don’t know what to do.i’m giving All to Jesus.i don’t know how to fix my life.no money, almost lost my faith,my kids future,their father passed away,no direction.i only had Jesus.

  20. Thanks alot for the wonderful testimony. I got a loan worth 300usd and i haven’t been able to repay it back. My family and I are at the brim are to be in great trouble. Today marks the day that I’m supposed to pay back. I’m stuck. But I know that the Lord Jesus Christ our saviour shall make a way. I believe and give my life to Christ for he has always been there for me and never has he ever foreseken me. And so, this is my humble prayer request, to get out of this mess and live to share my story with the world and what the Lord has done for me.
    Thanks alot be Blessed.

  21. I am in a mess now, separated from my husband with four kids to an unknown place. I owe rent of 3090. The hospital bill for my last baby that fell off the bunk bed is huge, I hardly can sleep. But something told me that God is able to fix this mess. I will testify amen

  22. My entire life is total mess…went to uni,didnt graduate ,my finance in mess as am in debts,involved myself in bad relationship which resulted in heartbreaks.am not married at37 yrs.i was dispressed..I tried to fix my life severally in vain…I reached a point in life I had to surrender and let God handle my life…I had to hand over my mess to Jesus to help me comfort and encourage others with similar mess

  23. Hi this is my first time joining you. Thank you for sure an inspirational message. My talk this evening in on Betty Confetti and how God make beautiful things happen from our messes.Amen …. So thank you I will be sharing some of your inspiration as it applied so well and added so much. 2Cor 1:3,4 so appropriate Belinda

  24. MY mess is very scary for me an isolated disabled women. I catch myself saying, I have no-one. I only have GOD. The word “only” is used to diminish here. GOD should not be deminished. I correct myself to use the word “only” correctly. I have GOD on my side– the “only” one who matters.

  25. My first symptoms of ALS occurred in 2014, but were diagnosed in 2016. I had severe symptoms ranging from shortness of breath, balance problems, couldn’t walk without a walker or a power chair, i had difficulty swallowing and fatigue. I was given medications which helped but only for a short burst of time, then I decided to try alternative measures and began on ALS Formula treatment from Tree of Life Health clinic. It has made a tremendous difference for me (Visit w w w. healthcareherbalcentre .com I had improved walking balance, increased appetite, muscle strength, improved eyesight and others. ]

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