Tag Archives: romans 8

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Where is God When I Hurt?

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Max Lucado

The Bible says in Romans 8:28 that “in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.” Do this simple exercise.  Remove the word everything and replace it with the symbol of your tragedy. How would Romans 8:28 read in your life?

In hospital stays God works for the good.

In divorce papers God works for the good.

As hard as it may be to believe, you could be only a Saturday away from a resurrection.  Hours from that precious prayer of a changed heart. “God, you did this for me?”

Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, Paul said.  “The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope.” (Romans 15:4).

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – The fatherhood of God

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“Our Father which art in heaven.” Matthew 6:9

Suggested Further Reading: Luke 11:1-13

A child, even though he is erring, always expects his father will hear what he has to say. “Lord, if I call thee King thou wilt say, “Thou art a rebellious subject; get thee gone.” If I call thee Judge thou wilt say, “Be still, or out of thine own mouth will I condemn thee.” If I call thee Creator thou wilt say unto me, “It repenteth me that I made man upon the earth.” If I call thee my Preserver thou wilt say unto me, “I have preserved thee, but thou hast rebelled against me.” But if I call thee Father, all my sinfulness doth not invalidate my claim. If thou be my Father, then thou lovest me; if I be thy child, then thou wilt regard me, and poor though my language be, thou wilt not despise it.” If a child were called upon to speak in the presence of a number of persons, how very much alarmed he would be lest he should not use right language. I may sometimes feel concerned when I have to address a mighty audience, lest I should not select choice words, full well knowing that if I were to preach as I never shall, like the mightiest of orators, I should always have enough of carping critics to rail at me. But if I had my Father here, and if you could all stand in the relationship of father to me, I should not be very particular what language I used. When I talk to my Father I am not afraid he will misunderstand me; if I put my words a little out of place he understands my meaning somehow. When we are little children we only prattle; still our father understands us.

For meditation: The Father always heard the Lord Jesus Christ (John 11:41,42); by the working of the Holy Spirit he can understand us even when we cannot understand ourselves (Romans 8:26,27). Never be afraid to go to him in prayer because words fail you.

Sermon no. 213

12 September (1858)

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – The Supernatural Power of God’s Love

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“For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39, KJV).

More than anything else, I was drawn to Christ because of His love for me. The Bible says that Christ proved His supernatural love for us by coming “to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Because of that great love, which draws me to Him and causes me to want to please Him and to love Him in return, I learned how to love supernaturally. In more than 30 years of counseling thousands of people about interpersonal conflicts, I do not know of a single problem that could not have been resolved if those involved had been willing to accept and respond to God’s love for them, and to love others as an act of the will by faith, as God commands.

Such a statement may sound simplistic and exaggerated, yet I make it after carefully reviewing in my mind all kinds of conflicts between husbands and wives, parents and children, neighbors, friends and enemies.

Think of it! Christ’s forgiveness is so great and compassionate that He will not allow anything or anyone to condemn us or separate us from His supernatural love. Even though He is “holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens,” He still loves and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He gives us absolute assurance that nothing can ever “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Bible Reading: Romans 8:32-37

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I determine to express my gratitude to God for His great love for me by loving Him in return and by loving by faith everyone with whom I have contact today. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will demonstrate that love by gracious acts of the will.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – An Eternal Perspective on Pain

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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. —Romans 8:18

As much as we may try, we can’t control the universe. Like it or not, pain will come knocking at our door in some, way, shape, or form. We can try to turn it away, but pain will come in anyway. We have a choice as to how we will deal with it. We can either waste our pain, or we can use it for God’s glory.

How can pain be used for God’s glory? Two people come to mind. The first is Joni Eareckson Tada. At age 17, a diving accident left her a quadriplegic. Yet she has brought inspiration and hope and encouragement to millions of people around the world. Had she lived her life without this disability, I am sure she would have been used by God. But would she have been used in the same way? It doesn’t seem likely. God took this pain and used it for His glory.

Then there is Nick Vujicic. Born without arms or legs, he was so despondent as a youth that he was suicidal. And yet he has sought again and again to bring encouragement to people throughout the world.

Joni and Nick are living proof that God can take the pain in our lives and use it for His glory. So we have to look at it with an eternal perspective and realize that it will all work together for good (see Romans 8:28). The hope of a new heaven and a new earth by and by helps us to keep perspective in the here and now, during times of trial.

There is coming a day when wrongs will be righted, when pains will be healed, when sorrow will be eradicated. God will make up what we have lost here on earth. God will make all things new.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Eternal Life: Adjust Your Focus

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Charles Stanley

Romans 8:6

Many believers can almost instinctively complete this statement: “For the wages of sin is_____.” Reading that sentence, perhaps you even filled in the blank out loud: death. We all know what that means, right? Verse 23 of Romans 6 proclaims it’s what we deserve for our sin. This is how we view ourselves from time to time—dirty sinners who have narrowly escaped a horrible death.

The problem here is that too many believers remember just the first half of the verse—the part that deals with our sin. If we focus on the sin rather than God’s plan for restoration, then our entire spiritual perspective gets off balance. Emphasizing the sin directs all the attention to self—what I have done, how I have acted, where I have been. This self-centeredness will never lead to the peaceful assurance of salvation that the Lord has provided. When we focus on ourselves, we leave little room for God.

Romans 8:6 is a good companion verse to the one we’ve been looking at, because the Lord would have us focus not on our problem, but on His solution. You see, Romans 6:23 is not simply a condemnation for sin; it is a proclamation of salvation! The apostle Paul boldly declares that God saw our dire situation and acted on His own initiative to rescue us.

The heavenly Father graciously handed salvation over to us as a free gift. And when the Lord gives a gift, there is no one who can ever steal it away and nothing that can interfere with its permanence (Rom. 8:35-39). That’s the assurance our God wants us to have.

 

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Fear—Keep Going

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If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]—Romans 8:31

We must learn how to deal with fear before it goes too far because it will never completely go away. Feeling fear is part of being alive. We may feel fear when we are doing something we have never done before, or when the obstacles seem insurmountable, or when we don’t have the natural help we feel we need. None of this means we are cowards; it means we are human. We can only be cowardly when we allow our fears to dictate our actions or decisions, instead of following our hearts and doing what we know is right for us.

We must accept the fact that fear will never go away completely, but also know we can live boldly and courageously because God has told us that He is always with us. Because of that knowledge we can choose to ignore the fear we feel. It’s okay to feel fear; it’s not okay to act on those feelings. You see, the word fear means “to take flight” or “to run away from,” and it causes us to want to flee from what God wants us to confront.

The only acceptable attitude for a Christian to have toward fear is “I will not fear.” Do not shrink back from anything in fear. You may be going forward with something you feel God has spoken to you to do. Then something happens to make it appear that it’s not working out or that people are not in favor of it. You realize that if you do what God wants you to do, you may risk losing some friends, some resources, or your reputation.

When you feel that fear, the first impulse is to shrink back, isn’t it? God knows that, and that is why He says, “Do not fear.” When He tells us not to fear, what He means is, no matter how you feel, keep putting one foot in front of the other and doing what you believe He has told you to do because that’s the only way to defeat fear and make progress.

Trust in Him: Trust the Word of God more than you trust the lies of the devil, and keep making progress!

 

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Your Name Here

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Imagine you committed a crime. When you appear before a judge, you will need a lawyer. This attorney will represent you and help give you confidence to face the judge with boldness.

We have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.  Ephesians 3:12

In the same way, Satan accuses you of all your sins to God. Yet the Bible says, “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) Jesus appears before God on your behalf and says, “Father, I know (your name) is a sinner, but repentance has been made and my blood has brought cleansing. (Your name) belongs to me.”

As a result of Christ’s death and resurrection, you have the authority to enter directly into God’s presence with freedom and confidence! He loves you completely – and is always waiting with open arms to welcome you as His child and not as a guilty slave.

The Lord knows you by name…so talk with Him about everything. Intercede for your family, friends and neighbors. Regularly pray that the nation’s leaders will make choices based upon godly principles. Expectedly ask that many of them who don’t have a personal relationship with Christ will turn their hearts toward God. Then thank Him for their changed lives!

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:31-39

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – An Eternal Perspective

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So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. —2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

When you are younger, you think certain things are always good, while other things are always bad. For example, success is always good, and hardship is always bad. But when you have lived life for a while, you can look back and realize that success actually can be bad for some. And hardship actually can be good for others. You begin to see things differently. And sometimes the things you thought were really good things turned out to be bad things. And the things that you thought were bad things turned out to be good things.

We must realize as Christians that God is in control of all circumstances surrounding our lives. God takes all of the events of life, the good things and the so-called bad things, and works them “together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

We must also realize that God loves us and is always looking out for our eternal benefit—even if what we are presently going through is difficult. We are told in 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (NLT).

Are you thankful for what God has blessed you with? Have you given thanks recently for your health? For the freedom to worship openly? For the clothes on your back and the roof over your head? We need to give thanks to God—because there is so much to give thanks for.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Our Helper in Prayer

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Charles Stanley

Romans 8:26-27

As Jesus neared the time of His death, He frequently referred to the Helper He would be sending to His disciples—and ultimately to all believers. The Holy Spirit was promised to indwell, enable, and instruct followers of God. Often called the Comforter, or Parakletos in Greek, He is the one who comes to stand by us and assist in whatever the Lord calls us to do.

One of the Holy Spirit’s most significant responsibilities is to be our Helper in prayer. The burden we feel to pray comes from Him. He knows about temptations lurking ahead or harsh experiences that may befall us, so He prompts us to talk to our Father. When you sense a need to pray, the last thing you should do is ignore it. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, we are told not to “quench the Spirit”; in other words, to ignore that divine prodding is actually a sin.

By burdening us to pray for someone else, the Holy Spirit frequently offers Christians the opportunity to participate in God’s work. On many occasions, I have received calls asking if I was going through a tough time. Invariably, my caller had been praying for me at the behest of the Holy Spirit.

This burdening of our hearts to pray for ourselves or for others is a special demonstration of God’s love. By calling us to prayer, He can begin the delicate work of sensitizing us to our surrounding circumstances or preparing us for a battle that He knows is coming. Listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and allowing ourselves to be prepared is how we display our love in return.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Glory Will Be Ours

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“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later” (Romans 8:18).

In Sydney, Australia, a taxi driver to whom I witnessed became very angry.

“I was in World War II,” he exploded, “and I saw thousands of people die. I don’t want to have anything to do with a God who allows war.”

“Don’t blame God for war and the slaughter of millions of people,” I explained. “War is the result of man’s sin. Man does what he does because of his selfishness and pride. God does not desire that man should destroy men. God is not in favor of war. But sickness, death, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods are all a part of God’s judgement because of man’s sin, because of man’s disobedience to His commands.

The problem of suffering is a mysterious one, but for the Christian there is a good, logical answer. All creation waits patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will resurrect His children. On that day, thorns and thistles, sin and death and decay – the things that overcome the world will disappear at God’s command.

The world around us then will share in the glorious freedom from sin which God’s children enjoy. Even the things of nature, animals and plants which now suffer deterioration and death, await the coming of the time of this great glory.

We Christians – though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory – also groan to be released from pain, heartache, sorrow and suffering. We too wait anxiously for that day when God will give us full rights as His children, including the new bodies He has promised us – bodies that will never suffer again, and that will never die.

Bible Reading: Romans 8:24-27

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will rejoice in the certainty that glory is ahead for me as a believer, and as a result I am willing to joyfully endure whatever suffering comes my way. I will also encourage others in their times of sorrow to consider God’s love and plan for them, and will help them to understand the scriptural reason for man’s suffering.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Awards for Faithfulness

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“Stop being afraid of what you are about to suffer – for the devil will soon throw some of you into prison to test you. You will be persecuted for ‘ten days.’ Remain faithful even when facing death and I will give you the crown of life – an unending, glorious future” (Revelation 2:10).

I find this a very timely word of caution, for we live in a day when it appears that the enemy is making his last fling. I would not attempt to set dates, for it may be years, decades or even centuries before the culmination of all things.

But the fact remains that committed believers are facing persecution and testing as perhaps seldom before. You and I may be called upon to suffer for the cause of Christ. By faith, we are not to fear, knowing that an “unending, glorious future” awaits us.

This promise might apply equally to the physical suffering we encounter from time to time as a part of the natural order of things. If we can accept such suffering as part of God’s plan for us – one of the “all things” of Romans 8:28 that is working together for our good – we will be among those victors who are able to “count it all joy.”

As we consider these possibilities, we may be optimistic, even cheerful, knowing that we are already on the winning side – more than conquerors. And we need not be afraid, for “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Bible Reading: Revelation 2:8-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will count on God’s promise of Romans 8:28 to do only that which is good for me, regardless of the circumstances. He will enable me to live supernaturally.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – A wise desire

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“He shall choose our inheritance for us.” Psalm 47:4

Suggested Further Reading: Genesis 45:4-11

If you turn to the pages of inspiration, and read the lives of some of the most eminent saints, I think you will be obliged to see the marks of God’s providence in their histories too plainly to be mistaken. Take, for instance, the life of Joseph. There is a young man who from early life serves God. Read that life till its latest period when he gave commandment concerning his bones, and you cannot help marvelling at the wondrous dealings of providence. Did Joseph choose to be hated of his brethren? But, yet, was not their envy a material circumstance in his destiny? Did he choose to be put into the pit? But was not the putting into the pit as necessary to his being made a king in Egypt as Pharaoh’s dream? Did Joseph desire to be tempted of his mistress? He chose to reject the temptation, but did he choose the trial? No; God sent it. Did he choose to be put into the dungeon? No. And had he anything to do with the baker’s dream, or with Pharaoh’s either? Can you not see, all the way through, from first to last, even in the forgetfulness of the butler, who forgot to speak of Joseph till the appointed time came, when Pharaoh should want an interpreter, that there was truly the hand of God? Joseph’s brethren did just as they liked when they put him into the pit. Potiphar’s wife followed the dictates of her own abandoned lust in tempting him. And yet, notwithstanding all the freedom of their will, it was ordained of God, and worked according together for one great end; to place Joseph on the throne; for as he said himself, “Ye meant it for evil, but God intended it for good, that he might save your souls alive!”

For meditation: You may find yourself in undesirable circumstances, but God can take these bad things and work them together for your good and his glory if you are his child (Romans 8:28). The all-knowing God knows what is best for us and can direct us clearly by our circumstances (Isaiah 48:17).

Sermon no. 33

8 July (1855)

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Condemned No More

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Charles Stanley

Romans 8:33-39

Every person is born under condemnation. Because of Adam and Eve’s rebellious decisions in the garden of Eden, each person born since then has come into the world with an inherent sin nature. Consequently, everyone needs a Savior, and God has graciously and lovingly provided one in His Son Jesus Christ. Those who reject Him remain under condemnation. Their guilty verdict has not been overturned, so they owe the penalty for violating God’s laws.

Perhaps this seems unfair to you. It is important to remember that God has always facilitated our unfettered communion with Him, even though He alone is perfectly holy and righteous. The reason He created Adam and Eve with free will is that He didn’t want us to be robots—He wanted to enjoy real love and fellowship with His children.

But those first human beings fell because they made poor decisions, as any of us would have. How wonderful that God offered to restore our relationship with Him through Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins. He is the Creator, so we truly have no right to question His plan. And yet the Lord has been magnanimous and amazingly loving throughout history. We deserve nothing, but He’s given us everything—including access to Him at any time.

 

Instead of condemnation, eternal security is ours once we place trust in Jesus as Savior. Praise God! We’ve been liberated from the penalty of our sin and are free to live forever in Christ’s nurturing and instructive grace.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Conviction or Condemnation

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Charles Stanley

Romans 8:1-2

Sometimes it’s easy even for believers to become confused, because emotions can be very tricky. For this reason, it is unwise to trust feelings or base our decisions upon them.

But what about those times when you are unsure? You can probably recall periods when you thought you were sensing conviction from the Holy Spirit but wondered whether it might instead be condemnation from the Enemy. There is a difference between emotion and true conviction, which means an awareness of wrongdoing (John 16:7-8). The Holy Spirit prompts conviction of sin as an expression of His love because He wants to keep you on the right path. One sure way to distinguish conviction by the Holy Spirit is that He will always identify something specific (Ps. 51:3-4; Luke 22:60-62). God won’t hesitate to put His finger on whatever is outside of His will.

Conversely, the Enemy will try to inspire feelings of condemnation and guilt by whispering something like, “You call yourself a Christian? You’re a poor excuse for somebody who claims to be one of God’s children.” The Enemy wants you so weighed down that you become ineffective for the Lord. When believers listen to that deceitful voice, they can become incapacitated by the untruths from the Father of Lies.

The Holy Spirit uses conviction positively—to warn against danger or lovingly nudge an erring believer back onto the course the Lord designed for his or her life. Thankfully, this is one of God’s unceasing acts of love.

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Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Spiritually Minded

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“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6, KJV).

I believe the truth of this verse may speak to a common cause of depression among Christians who allow their minds to dwell on ungodly thoughts and/or over-introspection.

Paul writes: “I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit’s instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won’t always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to.

“For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do, and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has His way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires” (Galatians 5:16,17).

Our minds are susceptible to the influence of our old sin- nature and, as such, can pose real dangers to us. As soon as we get out of step with the Holy Spirit and get our focus off the Lord, our minds begin to give us trouble.

“The Christian life is really simple,” I heard a pastor say recently. “It’s simply doing what we’re told to do.” And he is right. We will be spiritually minded, not carnally minded, if we obey the simple commands of God’s Word.

Bible Reading: Romans 8:5-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I will give the spiritual mind priority over the carnal mind in my life.

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Presidential Prayer Team; P.G. – Life Maps

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Counselors, psychologists and leadership coaches often ask people to construct a life map. Made as plain or elaborate as time allows, the life map is a visual representation of one’s experiences from birth to the present. It can often reveal how character has been shaped and molded. With high points and hard times, the maps never follow a straight line.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11

Consider the life of Abraham and the peaks and valleys of his life. God used all of Abraham’s experiences – decisions he made, people, places, events – to develop him into His friend. God was always at work.

How might the chart of your life take shape? Were you at a high or low point when you encountered Jesus and acknowledged Him as Savior? Where would you place births, deaths, relocations, schools, careers, and specific relationships within the cycles of your life? Whether you meet God on the mountaintops or the deserts of our life, today’s verse assures that when He is there, you have joy.

Acknowledge His presence in the shaping of your life. Pray that each person in America’s government might have that place where the Cross of Jesus intersects with their life map.

Recommended Reading: Romans 8:27-39

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Charles Spurgeon – Salvation to the uttermost

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“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 8:31-34

It is pleasant to look back to Calvary’s hill, and to behold that bleeding form expiring on the tree; it is sweet, amazingly sweet, to pry with eyes of love between those thick olives, and hear the groanings of the Man who sweat great drops of blood. Sinner, if you ask me how Christ can save you, I tell you this—he can save you, because he did not save himself; he can save you, because he took your guilt and endured your punishment. There is no way of salvation apart from the satisfaction of divine justice. Either the sinner must die, or else someone must die for him. Sinner, Christ can save you, because, if you come to God by him, then he died for you. God has a debt against us, and he never remits that debt; he will have it paid. Christ pays it, and then the poor sinner goes free. And we are told another reason why he is able to save: not only because he died, but because he lives to make intercession for us. That Man who once died on the cross is alive; that Jesus who was buried in the tomb is alive. If you ask me what he is doing, I bid you listen. Listen, if you have ears! Did you not hear him, poor penitent sinner? Did you not hear his voice, sweeter than harpers playing on their harps? Did you not hear a charming voice? Listen! What did it say? “O my Father! Forgive…….!” Why, he mentioned your own name! “O my Father, forgive him; he knew not what he did. It is true he sinned against light, and knowledge, and warnings; sinned willfully and woefully; but, Father, forgive him!” Penitent, if you can listen, you will hear him praying for you. And that is why he is able to save.

For meditation: How often do you stop and think what Christ is doing for you right now, if you are a Christian (1 John 2:1)?

Sermon no. 84

8 June (1856)

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Charles Spurgeon – The believer’s challenge

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“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34

Suggested Further Reading: Romans 6:1-11

Christ was in his death the hostage of the people of God. He was the representative of all the elect. When Christ was bound to the tree, I see my own sin bound there; when he died every believer virtually died in him; when he was buried we were buried in him, and when he was in the tomb, he was, as it were, God’s hostage for all his church, for all that ever should believe on him. Now, as long as he was in prison, although there might be ground of hope, it was but as light sown for the righteous; but when the hostage came out, behold the first fruit of the harvest! When God said, “Let my Anointed go free, I am satisfied and content in him,” then every elect vessel went free in him; then every child of God was released from imprisonment no more to die, not to know bondage or fetter for ever. I do see ground for hope when Christ is bound, for he is bound for me; I do see reason for rejoicing when he dies, for he dies for me, and in my room and stead; I do see a theme for solid satisfaction in his burial, for he is buried for me; but when he comes out of the grave, having swallowed up death in victory, my hope bursts into joyous song. He lives , and because he lives I shall live also. He is delivered and I am delivered too. Death has no more dominion over him and no more dominion over me; his deliverance is mine, his freedom mine for ever. Again, I repeat it, the believer should take strong draughts of consolation here. Christ is risen from the dead, how can we be condemned?

For meditation: The reality of having been united with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection should be acted out in believer’s baptism; but it should also be acted out in believer’s daily living (1 Peter 3:21-4: 2).

Sermon no. 256

5 June (1859)

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Joyce Meyer – God Is on Your Side

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For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. —Psalm 149:4

If you never face trials, you will never have to exercise your faith. But even when facing hard times, you shouldn’t dread life. Isaiah 8:13 says, “The Lord of hosts—regard Him as holy and honor His holy name [by regarding Him as your only hope of safety], and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread [lest you offend Him by your fear of man and distrust of Him].”

If you dread life and fear people, you are not trusting the Lord to save you. Keep your reverential fear and awe of God; dread displeasing Him, but don’t fear anything else. If God is for you, who can be against you? “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NIV).

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Greg Laurie – All Things

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

There are times in our lives as Christians when God will do things or fail to do things that we want Him to do, and it won’t make a bit of sense to us. And because we don’t see the big picture, we may falsely conclude that God has abandoned us. But we need to trust Him during these times, remembering that Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith. In other words, what God starts, He completes.

Remember that wonderful word from the first chapter of Philippians? “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears” (Philippians 1:6 THE MESSAGE).

It seems as I get older, I get distracted and forget things all the time. But what if God forgot about us? What a frightening thought. Imagine being in the midst of a fiery trial as God is watching and waiting for that moment to take us out of it. Then the phone rings, and He’s gone for a decade! Thankfully, God never forgets about us. He remains—forever and ever—in full control. He knows exactly what He is doing. He will complete what He has begun.

Sometimes in the middle of that process, we may think the Lord is missing it. But He isn’t. We’re the ones who are missing it. From our limited human viewpoint, we think of the temporal, but God lives in the eternal. We are thinking of today, but God is planning for tomorrow. . .in fact, He’s already been there. We are thinking of comfort, but God is thinking of character. We are thinking of an easy time, but God is thinking of how to make us better people.

So let’s trust Him. Whatever our circumstances or hardships, let’s believe His promise to His children. . . . All things are working together.