What do you do when life does not happen as you plan? What is your first response when you are surprised by events in your life? Where do you go for answers when you have none?

I'm a planner and an organized person who likes to “be in control.” Not so much because I need to be in charge, but because I need to make sure I know what happens. When I go to my favorite restaurant, I order the same thing, because I know it will be a good meal. When I buy a sweater, I get three in the same color because more of the same has to be a good thing.

We know, however, that life doesn't always follow a planned and knowable path. So what do you do when you get a call, and the person on the other line is a sheriff telling you your child is being taken by ambulance to the emergency room? Or when your routine checkup ends with a conversation about cancer? Our natural tendency may be to despair and say ‘why me?’

Let me encourage you instead to turn your thoughts to the One who is sovereign over all things. Turn to the One who is actually in control. Let our first thoughts be in prayer to God for wisdom and strength. Go first to the throne room of the Lord and deposit your prayers and petitions before God (Phil 4:6-7).

Nehemiah, the governor of Judah, was sent by the king of Persia back to Israel to rebuild the walls of the city. There was so much opposition to Nehemiah and his work that he carried letters from the King of Persia granting him the authority to do these tasks. Yet Nehemiah and the people of Israel were under intense pressure and threats to stop their work. Rumors that the enemy would sneak up and kill them scared the people. Their families begged them to stop and come home, leaving the wall unbuilt.

But Nehemiah was a godly man. He prayed and called upon the “Lord God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments” (Neh. 1:5). Nehemiah knew his Lord and had faith in Him. So it wasn't surprising when he exhorted the scared Israelites, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome” (Neh. 4:14).

Nehemiah had prepared his heart to depend on the Lord. He knew who God was and when he was under attack, he didn't fret or despair. His first thoughts were to cling to and depend on the Lord. Psalm 18:2 says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge.“

We need to steep our hearts in Scripture so that we are prepared when life surprises us. We need to be prepared to have our first thoughts go to the Lord in prayer and dependence.

I have no real control over my life. God is in full and ultimate control. But I will train my heart to cling to Him and trust Him in all things. So when that phone rings or that doctor closes the door to talk, I have hope and steadfastness in the great and awesome Lord God.