God’s Blessing in Disguise
By Vicky Crystal
As children of God, the trials He allows to come our way may actually be blessings in disguise.
Last year, when the Covid-19 pandemic first swept across the globe, “The Blessing,” a chart-topping hit composed and sung by worship leader Kari Jobe, became a sensation within a short period. Its theme — taken from Numbers 6:24-26 — about God’s peace, presence, and favour resonated with many in times of crisis and caught the attention of over 100 virtual choirs all over the world.
As Christians, we all love blessings. Even among Christian circles, a state of blessedness is often associated with earthly success and desirable things in life. In a world awash in social-media, being blessed means having all the stuff and material goods we often associate with the good life. A new job with pay rise? A new house? A new car? An opportunity to try new food? Hashtags like #blessed and #Iamblessed on social media are no longer foreign to most of us.
However, as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the global economy, many of us are forced to reframe our thinking concerning the concept of blessing. Thus, it was no surprise that Kari Jobe’s “The Blessing” became a worldwide hit for it reminded believers amid a global pandemic that God has not left us alone, that He will continue to provide and bless us in various ways.
Despite having to go through trials, we are reminded that God may eventually bless us though it may not come to us in ways that we expect. Trials may, in fact, turn out to be blessings in disguise. But it is only through hindsight that we realise these trials are actually blessings
That was what I learnt from a trial I experienced in 2019. Due to immense difficulties at my workplace, I went through an extremely painful period characterised by endless worrying, depressive thoughts, and sleepless nights, which took a heavy toll on my health —all because I chose to hold on to self-pity, worry, bitterness and anger.
I even contemplated quitting my job to be a freelancer in 2019, but the opportunity for freelancing, which I thought was a better fit for me, was taken away. Instead of taking a view from God’s perspective, I became bitter and disillusioned and God seemed so far away.
Early last year, I realised that freelancing was perhaps not God’s best for me. And it was actually a blessing in disguise that the freelancing opportunity did not materialise. Had I resigned from my job in 2019, I would have lost a steady source of income in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and would have been hit hard financially.
Looking back, I am grateful to God for my job. The trials I faced at my workplace was probably a test — God’s way of training me to overcome my weaknesses. Had I chosen to embrace it and see it from God’s perspective back in 2019, I would have been blessed even more, grown in my relationship with Him and saved myself from needless pain, which arose on account of my negative view of the problems at my workplace.
This experience made me realise that trials and tribulations in life may be God’s way of testing us though He will not deliberately set us up for failure. God is faithful. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear but will provide a way out so that we can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Each time we pass a test, we grow in our understanding of God’s love, and His sovereign ways. Thus, trials can be great blessing in disguise. “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).
No matter how painful it may seem to us, every trial, failure or setback can be God’s blessing in disguise if we reframe our thinking and choose to see it from God’s perspective. However, if we choose to adopt a negative perspective, worry, and wallow in self-pity, unforgiveness, bitterness, envy, pride, and anger, we may miss the good things God has in store for us — blessings in disguise.
We would be mistaken to think that these blessings in disguise would invariably be in the form of material prosperity. Earthly blessings, being transient, should not be the believer’s primary goal in life.
Holding onto these earthly things may lead to disappointment, conceitedness, greed, and fear. The New Testament has over 100 references to the words ‘bless’, ‘blessing’ or ‘blessed’ but seldom does the concept of blessing allude to material prosperity. Worldly success may be evident in the life of believers but it is not the sole indicator of God’s blessing.
Whether God chooses to bless us or not is entirely up to Him. Perhaps, after going through great emotional pain or a chronic illness, we grow in greater understanding of God’s love and sovereignty as our faith in the Lord is strengthened and we are healed from past wounds and traumas. In that sense, it is possible to experience God’s blessings in disguise even without enjoying material prosperity.
Some of us who may been experiencing intense trials since the past year may have grown weary. Nevertheless, let us be assured that these pain and trials will not last. Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5b). With every trial, we may be perplexed, worried and anxious but we don’t have to feel defeated (2 Corinthians 4:8). Unless we let the trial overwhelm us, we can be more than conquerors through Christ’s power within us (Romans 8:37).
At the threshold of a new year, amid all the storms raging in our nation and in our lives, may we learn to reframe our thinking and see the trials we are facing as God’s blessings in disguise. Let us allow the pain or trial to transform us positively. Let us rest in God, seeking His strength and presence in every situation and that will deepen our relationship with Him.
As God’s children, we must embrace the truth and believe that all things work together for good of those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Only then we can experience God’s blessings.
About the Writer
Vicky Crystal hails from the land of hornbills. She is an avid reader of anything inspiring and educational, a dilettante poet, and tinkerer of anything that can keep her creative juices running, including singing, art, writing, and experimental cooking.
