All Things Together For Good

They say eyes washed with tears see best. God never said we would like all that comes our way, but He gave a promise to those who love Him, those called for His purpose.

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

The Lord can take our circumstance – the good, the bad, the ugly -- and blend it in the crucible of His love and grace, transforming it into a thing of great beauty and blessing. It’s like medicine for the soul.

Every thing in the life of the child of God is working for good, even the things we don’t understand or like.

The whole purpose of Romans 8:28 is to teach us that God has an eternal plan and that nothing will change that plan.  He is busy reproducing Himself in each of us.

There Is Hope

Hope is a powerful thing.  G. K. Chesterton said, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.”

There is hope in the fact that the God we serve never changes.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 

Because He has been faithful in the past, we can trust Him to be faithful now and in the future.

Think of the victories Jesus won; the enemies He snuffed out, and the mountains He moved in our lives.

The One who Created all things  -- Who calmed the turbulent sea --  Who raised the dead -- Who opened blind eyes -- Who fed the thousands --  Who redeemed my soul -- Who parted waters . . . He’s the One who handles my  problems,  great or small.

There is hope in the now and the future because our eternal God is faithful. Praise Him.

When All We Can Do Is Pray

We pray for God to get us out of trouble or to keep us out of trouble, but do we ever thank Him for putting us in places where we had to trust Him?

In his song “Through It All”,  Andrae Crouch wrote:  “If  I’d never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that God could solve them."

My most precious memories are the weak, scared, and worried times – times when all I could do was pray, and the sweet Spirit of God wrapped His arms around me and carried me through it all.

When we see our trials from God’s perspective, we’ll  see that He is growing our faith and making us strong in weakness.    

2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

How We Serve The Lord

Different attitudes reveal how believers serve the Lord.

•  Some serve Him out of Discipline -- This attitude says, “I have to do it.”
•  Some serve Him out of Duty -- This attitude says, “I ought to do it. I owe it to Him.”
•  Others serve Him out of Devotion -- This attitude says, “I want to serve Him.”

Those who want to serve the Lord, serve because they are captured by His abundant love and amazing grace. I suppose I've served each way over the years, but I've found peace, joy, blessings and a bit of Heaven here on earth when I serve with devotion.

Ephesians 6:6-7 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

This is the way our service ought to be. We serve Him because we love Him.

John 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Chin Up, God Is In Control

I would lose hope if I didn’t know that God is in control.  How do I know? Because He is my Father. I know Him well and I love Him. I know because Romans 8:28 tells me He has a purpose for my life and it’s good and in His control.

Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

The control of God extends to all matters -- good and bad.  He is personally concerned about each and every one of His children, their fears and needs.

God wants to conform His children to the image of His Son.  Being conformed to the image of Jesus sometimes involves suffering trials and enduring discipline.

But by faith, we can know that God is going to make things work out for good because He is in control.

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Take Comfort Through Prayer

Today and in the future, believers in Christ can be assured that Jesus will always be present in their lives regardless of how they feel.  Jesus assures the disciples of His presence after He returns to Heaven.

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

We can take comfort in knowing that we have access to the Father through prayer.  When the task seems impossible, we can pray.

We can accomplish great things for God because we are able to communicate with the Father through prayer.

John 14:13. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

The Lord answers my prayers whether I pray till the Spirit comes down or simply believe with no emotion. I serve an amazing God.

Growing In Grace

The stability of the believer comes from faith in the Word of God, knowledge of the Word, and the ability to use the Word in the practical decisions of life.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Growing in grace is a constant experience of development.  It may involve trials or suffering.  It’s not easy. Anyone can drift out of dedication and growth.

The challenge is to grow in grace and knowledge in such a way that there’s a balance between worship and service, faith and works.

The purpose of spiritual growth is to bring glory to God.