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.”
Something on my mind this morning….
The Bible is not filled with only virtuous people. That may or may not be a shocking statement to make. But it is true. Sure there are many who are virtuous and those who become more virtuous as their story progresses. Then there are those who are riding a roller coaster in this regard.
We learn much from folks like Daniel and Ruth, and of course Jesus! We see the obedience of Abraham. We first get to know Noah as being obedient to the call of God to build the Ark, but then we see his post “cruise” less than stellar action. King David, known as a man after God’s heart is an adulterer who sets up the killing of Urriah in battle. Roller coaster? Yep. Peter is another good example of a person in the Bible who rides the righteous roller coaster.
But let’s look at the unlikely ones that God uses: Rahab, Jonah, Moses, and so many more. The prophets who resisted God’s call. Even Cyrus, the King of Persia, a non-Jew and king of the empire who took the Jews into captivity, was used by God for God’s good purposes. The bottom line is God can use anyone, believer or not, for His good purposes. Also, God can use any event, good and bad, to reveal himself to the world, to those who are open to receiving Him, and use it for good.
These are not the best of times in the US for a number of reasons. There is a lot of fear, anger, and distrust. My question that I have been pondering this morning, is how is God using or going to use this time to reveal Himself and move for His good purposes?
Beyond the news headlines that we are inundated with, we see how individuals, young, old, and in-between, are practicing acts of kindness. We are seeing how neighbors are helping neighbors. We see a wife take a job washing dishes at the nursing home where her husband is a resident just so she can be with him.
I believe, even though you and I won’t see it on the news, there is a revival of the Jesus Christ going on across the nation and around the world. People have been stripped of many of the things that they spent all of their time and effort focusing on. What is truly important is being revealed. Are we being taken low so that we can be opened to the moving of the Holy Spirit? I do not believe God causes bad things to happen but can indeed use them. God will be revealed when we allow our hearts to be opened. Through all the ups and downs and ins and outs of changing guidelines from the CDC or governors or the President’s COVID-19 task force, we are challenged. Economic challenges and, of course, health challenges and social unrest are real and bite at our feelings of security.
What is God going to do with this time? How will it all be used for God’s good purposes? How are those who are not godly being used by God? How are those who obedient to God’s Word being used? Likely or unlikely, God can and will use it all. I cannot wait to see how.
Let’s keep praying for God to be revealed to each and every person who does not yet know Him. Let’s pray that one of the most difficult of times ever faced by this nation will be used for the Kingdom of God to become more widely revealed here on Earth. Let’s pray that God uses both the likely and the unlikely for His purposes and that we are once again turned toward God. -Amen.