Setbacks and Setups

SETBACKS AND SETUPS
The Spoken Word
September 13, 2026
By: Derrick Porter


NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST Jenkin Lloyd Jones once wrote: “Life is like an old-time rail journey— delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. “The trick,” he continued, “is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” ¹

Life indeed is full of unanticipated twists and turns and rarely, if ever, goes according to plan. But as we learn to thank the Lord for the ride—even when it takes us to heights and depths we never imagined—we begin to recognize the beautiful vistas and the thrilling bursts of speed that bring joy to the journey.

For each of us, there are seasons when the ride is anything but smooth. But this is the journey. In fact, a journey would hardly be a journey if it were a single, uneventful ride from beginning to end. Growth, understanding, and experience often come from stops at the depot, repairs on the prairie, or even the need to back up and find the right track.

But it’s important to remember that sometimes what looks like a setback really may be a setup for something greater. ² As we look to God in our daily travels, we discover that He knows the track, the train, and the traveler. He knows our destination. And while He may not impose every setback we suffer, He is never surprised by them and can consecrate our experiences for our growth and good.

Joseph of Egypt experienced such a setback. Betrayed by his brothers, he was sold into slavery and became a servant in Potiphar’s house. He served faithfully, only to be falsely accused and sent to prison. Yet even these setbacks were preparing him for something far greater. Eventually, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh to interpret the ruler’s troubling dreams. Through the gift of God, he did so and was appointed second-in-command over all Egypt. Thirteen years had passed since Joseph was sold into slavery, and at least nine more would pass before he fully understood where the journey had been leading. How beautiful that vista must have been when he realized that his position and influence would help save not only his family but in fact all of Egypt from famine. ³

May we trust God through life’s setbacks, knowing, as the Apostle Paul testified, that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” ⁴ Even when we struggle to see beyond the next bend, we can trust the One who knows where the journey leads.

1. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, quoted in Gordon B. Hinckley, “God Shall Give unto You Knowledge by His Holy Spirit” (Brigham Young University devotional, Sept. 25, 1973), 2, speeches.byu.edu.
2. Millika Holbrook Grant introduced this thought to me.
3. See Genesis 37, 39-45.
4. Romans 8:28.