Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to go wrong? Maybe you woke up late, spilled breakfast on your shirt, forgot your homework, got in trouble at school, and then your best friend was mad at you for something you didn’t even do. Some days it feels like problems just keep piling up!

If you’ve ever felt like your problems are going from bad to worse, you’re in good company with some pretty amazing people in the Bible! Joseph went from being his dad’s favorite son to being thrown in a pit by his brothers, then sold as a slave, then falsely accused and thrown in prison. Talk about going from bad to worse!

Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi lost their husbands and became so poor they almost starved. Naomi was so sad she changed her name to “Mara,” which means “bitter.” Job lost his children, his animals, his house, and his health all in one day! And the apostle Paul got arrested, spent two years in prison, was put on a ship that got caught in a hurricane, was shipwrecked on an island, and then got bitten by a poisonous snake!

But here’s the amazing part: God turned all of these terrible situations into something good! Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt and saved thousands of people from starving. Ruth became the great-great-grandmother of King David. Job got back twice as much as he had lost. And Paul wrote some of his most important letters while he was in prison!

Take Action: When you’re going through a really hard time, remember these stories and don’t give up! Sometimes God uses difficult situations to prepare us for something amazing. Write down your problems on a piece of paper, and then pray and read your list to God. Ask Him to help you trust Him even when you can’t see how things will work out. Keep that paper and look back at it later to see how God worked things out!