When God Saved My Life
A devotional by Joyce M. Averils
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’.”—Isaiah 46:10 (NIV)
In 1989, I was teaching a Sunday school class for high school-aged students in my church. Those Sunday mornings were the highlight of my week. I loved pouring into those teens, laughing with them, praying over them, and walking beside them as they grew in their faith and navigated life. We weren’t just filling our traditional role as teacher and students. We were family.
One Sunday, I noticed that a pair of 16-year-old twin sisters hadn’t been there for a few weeks. Concerned, I asked the class if they knew what was going on. The students told me that one of the twins had developed a serious alcohol addiction and was now in treatment. Her sister had chosen to stay home until they could come back together.
My heart broke. I reached out to their parents, who confirmed everything the class had said. That following Sunday, I brought the situation up with the teens and asked how we could support the girls. One student said, “We should pray for them.” Absolutely. But then another teen quietly offered, “Maybe we could sign pledges not to drink alcohol until we’re adults.”
I was floored, but in the best way. These kids wanted to stand in solidarity and to commit to something hard as a sign of support. I told them I’d write up pledges and bring them next week. Then someone asked, “Are you signing one too?”
Before I could answer, another student chimed in, “But she’s already old! She can drink if she wants to!” We all laughed. But I said, “You know what? I’ll sign a pledge too. I won’t drink alcohol until each one of you has graduated from high school.”
One by one, they graduated. And I kept my word. For years, I completely gave up alcohol— I had no celebratory glass of wine and no fruity drink at a wedding reception. But then something unexpected happened. When I could finally drink again if I wanted to, I realized that I no longer wanted to.
Fast forward to 2020. At my annual checkup, my doctor sat me down to go over my lab results. My liver enzyme numbers were alarmingly high. A specialist visit and liver biopsy followed that appointment. The diagnosis: autoimmune liver disease. The doctor gently explained that if I hadn’t stopped drinking back in 1989, my condition would have progressed far more rapidly. In fact, he said, best-case scenario, I would have needed a liver transplant, and worst-case scenario, I could have died years earlier.
I sat there stunned, but so thankful. What I thought was a simple act of solidarity with some teenagers turned out to be the very decision that saved my life.
Here’s what I know now: God knew. He knew what was coming even when I didn’t. That’s the beauty of His omniscience. He sees the end from the beginning. Isaiah 46:10 (NIV) reminds us, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”
When I made that pledge, it felt like a small sacrifice. But now I know it was God nudging me through the Holy Spirit to do something that didn’t just bless others, it protected me. It wasn’t a rule or restriction. It was grace. Divine foresight wrapped in love.
Sometimes we don’t understand the “no” we get from God. Sometimes the door that closes feels like a loss. But often, God’s “no” is a “yes” to something better, something life-giving or even life-saving. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) reminds us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
That Sunday School classroom was holy ground, not just for the students, but for me too. I look back and see how God used their pain, their courage, and their ideas to plant something in me that would bloom decades later in the form of protection and healing. What a faithful, loving God we serve.
If you’re in a season where God has said “no” or asked you to release something that doesn’t make sense, I want to encourage you: He sees what you can’t. He knows what’s ahead. His plans are always for your good (Jeremiah 29:11), even when the steps don’t feel good in the moment.
That pledge wasn’t just for a moment. It was for a lifetime. And through it, God wrote a story I never could have imagined, a story of obedience, healing, and grace. I’m still in awe, as I’m reminded that God’s answer is always the right answer at the right time.
Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for seeing the end from the beginning and lovingly guiding our steps, even when we don’t understand the “why”. Thank You for the unexpected ways You protect us, often through small acts of obedience that carry great purpose. Help us to trust Your “no” as much as we celebrate Your “yes” because we know that Your plans are always for our good. Teach us to lean into Your wisdom, rest in Your timing, and remain faithful, even when the road ahead is unclear. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection #1: “Thank You” by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #2: “The Master’s Hand” by Annie Herring. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Joyce M. Averils is an attorney by education and a retired judge who currently works as a Life Purpose and Business Empowerment Coach.
During her legal career, she served as the legal advisor for an episode of the American television program “Designing Women”. She also successfully argued a zoning case before the Georgia Supreme Court.
Today, she is the founder of Averils Omnimedia, LLC, which includes Her RICH Life Coaching, where she helps high-achieving women of faith create a purpose-aligned life and business through coaching programs, workshops, and retreats.
She recently launched 26th & Alden Paper Design House which will release its first paper product in 2025.
Joyce believes that God created women to do extraordinary things by walking fully in their purpose, calling, and assignment. She knows that each woman has a unique calling that only she can fulfill, and if she doesn’t answer it, that work may never be done. Joyce is deeply aware that there are people waiting for the help only God can give, and He often chooses to work through His people to meet those needs. That’s why Joyce is committed to answering God’s call on her life and inspiring other women to do the same, so together, we can be of greater service to God and one another.
Her life verse is John 17:4 (NIV), “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
She makes her home on the coast of South Carolina.
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Connect with Joyce:
Website: www.herrichlife.com
Facebook Ministry: www.facebook.com/groups/thepurposealignedwoman
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/coachlabforaspiringchristianwomencoaches
Facebook: www.facebook.com/@HerRichLife
Instagram: www.instagram.com/herrichlife
Email address: joyce@herrichlife.com
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