(Read Romans 8)
Some brighten the darkest rooms. These people are so cheery and effervescent that you’d think there are no issues in their lives. Or worse, they are in a permanent sense of denial or deluding themselves about the reality of things. When you take time to talk with people like this, you come to find this is rarely the case. Usually, the most positive, upbeat, righteous people are also the most Godly. They just wear their scars well.
My wife’s niece (L) is one of those people. “I think for me a pivotable time in my walk with the Lord was when we were trying to get pregnant with our daughter,” (L) began. “Navigating through the process and all the complications once she was born helped make the Bible literally become life to me, and the very voice of God was personally spoken and written to me.”
“I think the verse from John’s Gospel 1:1 created a new habit of prayer time for me. I used this time literally in my closet, taking time to be still and know He is God.”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
In the original Greek, “the Word” (“Logos”) referred to a reason or divine expression. The apostle John used it to describe Jesus, portraying Him as God’s communicator and active agent in creation. He deliberately referenced the opening of Genesis (“In the beginning, God created…”) to connect Jesus to creation. In this sense, “The Word” pre-existed creation itself. John’s declaration that the Word was not just with God but actually was God was a powerful statement about Jesus’ divinity.
(L) has held a keen understanding of the Gospel for most of her life, her mother once told me. It’s always refreshing to an old guy like me when younger people (and believers) can teach us so much about faith. Learning and growing are vital, and we won’t stop until the day we reside in Jesus’ home. (L)’s daughter’s birth was problematic, and she was born with congenital health issues. (L) and her husband’s relationship with Jesus has been the cornerstone of carrying them through this journey.
“Many of the promises of God in the Bible have become very personal to me, and He has become my life, my hope, and my rock.” Seeing the Godly perspective, (L) added, “I don’t love that it took something like this to draw me in at that level, but He works all things together for good, and I’m continually believing and trusting that He is doing exactly that. He is knitting together a perfect story of redemption in my own life, just like the beautiful redemptive story of Jesus Christ.”
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Jeremiah 33:3
Jeremiah spent most of his prophetic life warning people of severe judgment if the nation of Israel did not repent of their evil ways and return to the Lord. However, Chapter 33 marks a shift towards messages of hope and restoration. Despite his divinely inspired message, Jeremiah was subjected to unbelievable ridicule. He was forced to watch his rebellious nation’s refusal to obey his warning before being defeated and sold into slavery.
The best part of verse 3 is “Call to me” or “Ask me.” Yes, God will answer us and reveal hidden things we don’t know, but first, we must ask. Just ask! God’s calling us to prayer shows more about His love than His authority. Many people I know miss God’s blessings because they don’t ask for them. Praying, calling to God, and asking is sowing seeds. Verse 3 is often called God’s “phone number,” pointing to a direct line of communication between Him and humanity.
“I am also learning that prayer isn’t fearfully asking God to make things right but pausing and drawing close to God and asking Him to reveal His heart and praying from that place. I am very much a work in progress, learning and growing every day.” Then (L) dropped her Gospel clarity on me. “He’s teaching us so many things, and while one could say that we should be shaken away from the goodness of God because of all the challenges we’ve experienced with our daughter, by God’s grace, it’s been the opposite. We have experienced His goodness in so many ways and simply do not doubt His love and nature. He has been SO very present during it all.”
Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
Deuteronomy 8:3
This verse is part of Moses’ farewell speeches to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. It wasn’t a test for testing’s sake for God’s benefit; it was to show the Israelites humility — removing any sense of self-sufficiency and revealing what was truly in their hearts. God wants to see and probably wants us to see what we’re made of. I don’t believe He makes bad things happen; he allows them. Through our hardships, we remember His faithfulness. Through our time in the valley, we can be a light to others.
“There are ups and downs, but I am so encouraged to know that God never changes. He is constant, and His love for (C) and my family FAR surpasses my own love, and thankfully, His thoughts and His ways are not mine.” Injecting levity, she said, “He can be trusted, and His track record is pretty fantastic, haha! When I get discouraged or overwhelmed, it’s a warning that I’ve been giving too much mind to the lies of the enemy, who would love to derail me and make me an ineffective witness for Jesus. It’s in those moments I feel the Holy Spirit drawing me in, encouraging me to get back into alignment with the Father’s voice, letting Him speak life to me, and leading me into all truth.”
(L) ’s comprehension of her place in God’s story is inspiringly refreshing. She sees her challenges through a different lens than the world would. God’s wisdom surpasses all human understanding, and the way (L) lives her life reflects her trust that God’s promises will be revealed to her.
“I feel like I’ve started a lifelong journey and testimony of God’s infinite grace and love. Again and again, He has lovingly shown me that His perfect love casts out fear and that faith works through love. Every time I get a revelation of His love, I am renewed and refreshed, encouraged, and set free of any weights that were tying me down.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Paul, the writer of Romans, speaks not from speculation but from faith and understanding of God’s character. “All things” means the wholeness of God’s work, not just the good times but everything we experience. All those who love God are assured to be recipients of the promise.
“Another thing that I’m learning is that this life is not about perfection- a perfect family, kids all obeying perfectly, no messiness, everything going the way I think it should or planned, living the American dream and living life for myself and what I can accomplish, do, see, show others, etc. Maybe my messy life with obedience and trust in Him can be an encouragement to someone somewhere. Maybe I need to be less concerned about myself and how I present to others and more concerned about whether He is shining through me.”
I believe that Paul could have added lots of other recipients for good in his verse. When people approach life like (L) with grace, faith, and love, it demonstrates that there is hope beyond our pain. When people show that life is about perseverance over perfection, the world sees more of Jesus and less ugliness. “For those who love God,” I submit that “all things work together for” His good, our good, your good, and the good of the body of Christ.
“God has a special plan for my life, and I want to do everything He needs me to do on this earth before I go home to Him. I need to remind myself every morning to surrender. Starting my morning surrendering my will and my life to Him is probably the most important thing I do every day.”
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
Key Application:
- We can have confidence that God is directing our steps and using all circumstances for our ultimate good and His glory. Trust in God’s goodness and wisdom, even amid challenging circumstances, remain faithful to his purposes, surrender your control to God, and know He is at work for our ultimate good!
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.