The most recent Encourage event sought to remind us of how God can work any situation for our good. Peggy Boardman describes how the event was a blessing to many women from Redeemer and from other churches across Ealing borough.

How many of us live with setbacks?

Sometimes we spend too much time holding onto the things of the past while we miss out on the here and now.

The speaker told us about how she tried very hard for 8 years to achieve something that she intensely desired but it never came to fruition. It was very hard at the time but she surrendered to God and then God began to move in the midst of her disappointment. What she is doing now is very different from what she had planned but this new direction has given her great fulfilment - much beyond anything she expected!

Her talk spoke to me and I remembered when I left my home, Indonesia, a long time ago to live in the UK. I was disappointed that I had to leave the ‘good life’ behind and was not sure how living in the UK would be like with no family, friends or helpers and drivers. But, I met God in London – that was far greater than any ‘good life’ in Indonesia!

God often uses a setback to move us forward.

In the same way, Joseph experienced a big setback when his brothers sold him into slavery. But 13 years later Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made him No. 2 to Pharaoh controlling all of Egypt. During this hard time, Joseph learned to trust God. In God’s timing he was moved forward for a divine purpose. He not only saved his family and the people of Israel but also saved Egypt from starvation as well as the surrounding nations.

Joseph said in Gen 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

The Encourage ladies event will be running every two months and the next one will be on 11 May – details will be given nearer the time.