Yesterday I said, "Whatever God allows at any point in time is His best for me." Later in the day I walked out the door and stepped in a hole, twisting my ankle. As I lay on the ground looking at the sky I said, "Okay, God, this may be Your best, but could You make it a little less painful?"
As I hobble from one place to another I am reminded that God's best is not always pleasant or easy. But--I am confident that what is happening is in the hand of God because "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. How does God define good? Being conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:28-29 Sydney paraphrase) What's happening right now is God's best because He did not withhold His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all--how will He, with Him, not freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32, Sydney paraphrase).
So if God works all things to make me more like Jesus and if He doesn't withhold any good thing, then this.... This is best. This is best for me. This is best for me right now.
How about you? Are you enjoying blessings? Struggling to trust? Finding it difficult to ask for help? God is much more concerned about changing each of us and our hearts than our circumstances. In fact, He is using and has designed specific circumstances to move our focus from earthly, horizontal struggles to His heavenly, vertical provision.
What's God's best for you today? Leave a comment and encourage others if it isn't too much trouble.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:26-39)
As I hobble from one place to another I am reminded that God's best is not always pleasant or easy. But--I am confident that what is happening is in the hand of God because "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. How does God define good? Being conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:28-29 Sydney paraphrase) What's happening right now is God's best because He did not withhold His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all--how will He, with Him, not freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32, Sydney paraphrase).
So if God works all things to make me more like Jesus and if He doesn't withhold any good thing, then this.... This is best. This is best for me. This is best for me right now.
How about you? Are you enjoying blessings? Struggling to trust? Finding it difficult to ask for help? God is much more concerned about changing each of us and our hearts than our circumstances. In fact, He is using and has designed specific circumstances to move our focus from earthly, horizontal struggles to His heavenly, vertical provision.
What's God's best for you today? Leave a comment and encourage others if it isn't too much trouble.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:26-39)
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to hear from you! Please share your experiences, thoughts, questions or comments. Thanks for stopping by.