How Is God Going To Use This Crisis?
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Sunday was jam-packed with celebration. St. Luke pulled out all the stops to celebrate our 147th church anniversary virtually. You can tell that everyone was in high spirits and profoundly grateful for the journey that the Lord has brought the church on. The choir sang until they could not sing anymore. The guest soloist left it all at the altar. And then…it was preaching time. What a word we received. We left assured of the ways that God was going to use crises in our lives.
We all encounter hardships. Trials that we anticipated and some that blindsided us. Whether we saw them coming or not, crisis has been known to shake our faith. But there is great news. Right out of the gate we were reminded that God has a miraculous way of bringing triumph out of tragedy.
Romans 8:28 is frequently quoted in times of tribulation. We read it when times are hard. We may even say it to others to encourage them. The verse gives us insight into God’s motive of deliverance for His people. God is moved to work on our behalf when His purpose is threatened. This is an awesome reminder to shift our thinking when crisis comes our way. All things…everything…not some of the things, but all the things…will work together for our good.
When we live lives that are surrendered to God, we open the door for God’s protection and provision. He is with us. Even when we do not feel like He is. Even when we forget that He is. He is still there. And His presence is bigger, badder, bolder, and greater than any obstacle that we face. We have purpose, and our purpose will be fulfilled. No matter how great the crisis. Despite the odds.
Verse 29 really cracks the code of how God uses crisis. While crisis does not ever feel good, it has the potential to strip away everything that is not like God. True crisis begins to conform us to the image of Jesus. We are shed of excess and things that do not have eternal value when tragedy makes a grand entrance in our lives. It holds a mirror up to our faces and allows us to really see what is important. We better understand what truly matters. God uses crisis to get us to where we need to be.
Be of good cheer saints. When life is beating us up, we must remember that God is with us. He gave each of us purpose. We are all part of the story and have an important role to play. We do not have to know the right words to say because God is writing the story for us. We just have to remember that the ending is going to be magnificent. #wepreach
Questions to Consider:
- What are your initial thoughts when face with an obstacle?
- What motivates you to keep going when you face hard times?
- Recite a scripture that gives you hope.
- Recall one time that God showed Himself to be bigger than an obstacle.
