"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…" ~Romans 8:28-29
Painful trials, vicious personal tragedy, personal attacks, temptation, sin, stinging setbacks or unexpected reversals.. hugenormus loss, stumbling here and there, embarrassing failure—what have you been through?
Got any really ugly stuff like these things in your past?
Perhaps you've had a bad day today, a bad month, a really bad decade, or thus far.. a really bad life? I really hope you are having a good day, but I want to encourage you.. just in case.. not to give up or become despondent, hopeless or given to self-pity.
In Christ, your best days are indeed ahead of you ..yup, unto the furtherance of His Kingdom and unto His eternal glory as you live wholeheartedly for Him!
Wanna tell you about a suffering soul-winner, a local church pastor that was trying his best to make some sense out of his family's darkest, most horrific tragedy.
He was emotionally besieged as you could imagine, basically coming up empty handed and without words or any relief. He just couldn't on his own and started to pray for God's strength. You see, his son had committed suicide. Ever met anyone who has lost a loved one by this selfish sin? It breaks your heart in half!
There were things that this fisherman of sorts knew and felt he understood ..and many other things that he just didn't get. I know that I wouldn't fully get it if I were in his shoes at the time.
How could God allow this to happen when He is all-powerful and all-knowing? Couldn't He have overridden or blocked the serious folly of his son ..early enough? Many ministers totally leave God and ditch the ministry after going through such brutal and merciless circumstances. Many Christians backslide and stay angry at the Lord for a lifetime after experiencing similar pain. I know some who have and some who refused to.
But after ten days this believing minister did return to his pulpit. Under such massive duress he read his text from the familiar words of Paul found in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Yeah, visibly shaken, radically care-worn, shell-shocked and struggling for some composure, the minister said:
"I cannot make my son's suicide fit into this passage. It's impossible for me to see how anything good can come out of it. Yet I realize that I only see in part. I only know in part. It's like the miracle of the shipyard. Almost every part of our great oceangoing vessels are made of steel. If you take any single part—be it a steel plate out of the hull or the huge rudder—and throw it into the ocean, it will sink. Steel doesn't float! But when the shipbuilders are finished, when the last plate has been riveted in place, then that massive steel ship is virtually unsinkable. Taken by itself, my son's suicide is senseless. Throw it into the sea of Romans 8:28 and it sinks. Still, I believe that when the Eternal Shipbuilder has finally finished, when God has worked out his perfect design, even this senseless tragedy will somehow work to our eternal good."
Yes, even this tragedy will be put together to serve the high purpose of the God who experienced His own son being murdered. It's because of faith—this pastor had a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and new supernatural strength from Him.
For the committed believer there are no permanent tragedies. For the committed unbeliever there are no permanent triumphs. ~Erwin Lutzer
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." ~1 Peter 4:12-13
Read the entire entry? Are you born anew and in His direct will today?
