For almost 15 years I’ve been leading a class for newly married women at my church. By newly married I mean some are still lathering aloe on sunburns from their beach honeymoon when they come to the class. Most have been married a couple years or less, but all are still learning how to go from “you and me” to “we”. Being with these young, newly married women is an absolute joy. They are eager to learn from older, eh hem, seasoned married women about this new life journey.

The class covers a lot of ground, but one thing I share with them is every marriage faces trials. I don’t know any couples married more than 10 years who haven’t had at least one significant trial in their marriage. I’m not trying to be a downer to these bright-eyed brides, but I am encouraging them to lay a firm foundation for when trials come.

A gut-punch diagnosis, a financial crisis, infertility, sudden death of a loved one, raising a Prodigal child, unexpected and unexplained natural disasters – no one is immune from the consequences of living in this fallen world. While no one can be prepared for every situation, there is a readiness every Believer (married or not) can access when (not if) trials come (John 16:33).

We can know the character of God.

I encourage the young wives in my class to get to know the God we serve intimately and make Him the center of their lives and marriages – from the beginning. Knowing God’s character allows us to trust Him when our life plans take a dramatic turn. And knowing the character of God can make the biggest difference in how well we weather the storms of this life. God’s character traits help us understand who He is and where He is in every trial we face. Knowing Him in the calm allows us to lean on Him in the chaos.

We can look at a young couple who were thrown into a situation they never could have expected that completely rocked their plans as they started their lives together – Mary and Joseph.

We know the story well, but we very seldom dive into what it must have been like for this chosen couple. How does a couple prepare for such an assignment? One minute they were looking forward to their wedding, the next minute their lives were forever changed by the plans God had for them. I imagine they were excited to start their new life together like other giddy couples their age – and much like the young women in my class. Mary and Joseph would have been eager to keep to the traditions and expectations of an engaged couple – a celebratory wedding and then adding children as soon as possible. It was the standard playbook for every young, devout Jewish couple. Everything had already been mapped out, they just needed to walk forward in the plans – just like everyone else.

However, they weren’t like everyone else, and God had chosen a different direction for their lives. This direction meant they would even seem “guilty” to some. Frankly, their assignment appeared embarrassing, nay shameful, in first-century Jewish culture. Pregnant before marriage? And Joseph isn’t the father?

But Mary knew the character of God and trusted Him. Her response to this life-altering news is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Upon finding out she would carry and give birth to the Messiah, she replied, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” She continued later, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in my Savior….” (Read her entire response, later titled the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55. It is also the longest continuous spoken word by a woman in the Bible.)

The only way Mary and Joseph could be ready for what God had prepared for them was that they already knew and trusted God. And so it is with all Believers.

We don’t have to guess about God’s character or hope He’ll be whatever we want Him to be in our time of chaos. The Bible gives us a detailed portrait of just Whom we are dealing with. We don’t have to fill in the blanks with mischaracterizations or even what we would do if we were God. We can dig into scripture to find the beautiful facets of our Lord.

We know from scripture that He is a loving Father who longs to comfort us: “How often I have longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chick under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37).

He is only good: “No one is good – except God alone” (Mark 10:18); “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with Thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4).

He gives us what we need: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own name” (2 Peter 1:3).

He is compassionate: “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore, He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18).

He is patient with His children: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

He will walk through trials with His children: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He is victorious: Revelation 20,21, 22.

Experiencing God’s character while we go through trials gives us the opportunity to go from faith built on theory to standing on all that is and ever was true. While there is no way to prepare for everything, knowing Who is in control can make a seemingly insurmountable trial an honor of a lifetime. As I tell the young women in my class, don’t wait to investigate the character of God – the God of the Bible – until you are facing a trial. We are invited not only to know Him, but to trust Him with every moment, every circumstance, and even every person we love.

We can’t be ready for everything this world will throw at us. But we can prepare by knowing the character of He who has overcome the world.

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust Him” (Nahum 1:7).

Dear Lord, Thank You for revealing Yourself to us and inviting us to know You and trust You. I love that Your desire is to be close to us – especially when we walk through the hardships of this world that is not our home. Lord, may we seek You and rest in You when our circumstances tempt us to believe You have forgotten us or delight in our sorrows. Nothing could be further from the Truth, and You are Truth. May we be ready in season and out of season to love and trust You. Maranatha! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.