ALL TOGETHER FOR GOOD

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)

Those who "love God" pursue with steadfast devotion the purpose of God to which they have been called regardless of who comes into their lives or depart from it, or what situations and circumstance they encounter, and to these will their be a manifestation of the fullness of the promise: “all things work together for good”!

Always and in all things, the believer is to be guided by God's purpose for he is “called according to God’s purpose”. The justifiable reason for what we do as people who are called by the name of God, and why we follow a particular road and not the other, must be because it is an expression of that which is according to His purpose. Apostle Paul exhorted us: “…lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” (Ephesians 4:1, NLT)

Believers face situations daily that will either encourage them and inspire confidence in them or discourage, frustrate and test their resolve to lead a worthy life. And how you deal with the unique combination of people, things and circumstances that define your particular daily situations depends on how you answer the question: “Why have I woken up this morning? Why am I alive today?

The incontrovertible truth is that we live because God ordained it. He woke you up this morning, and He called, in Christ, according to His own purpose that you should lead a life worthy of your calling. To start your day with the right attitude therefore must involve acknowledging that God who made the day and made you part of it by His grace and mercy. He is at work in it and in you.

Furthermore Christian, understand that walking in obedience to God’s purpose does not mean that we will not come up against difficult situations. There will always be battles to fight as long as we are in this life. But whatever the challenge of your day, by remaining steadfast in your pursuit of God's purpose, you will experience His great grace that strengthens and enables His people to continue to do His will even in very difficult circumstances and with difficult people.

Those life situations that appear to be unconnected events and random encounters, which for some people are sources of deep consternation, ought not hold such dread for the man or woman who loves God, whose steps are the divinely ordered steps of the righteous, because God uses everything that happens to the faithful believer!

As Christians it is very reassuring to know that as we lead a life worthy of God’s calling, He will use everything that we encounter each day, He will work them all into His grand plan for our lives and cause them to work for our good. Though evil may have been intended against you, God will turn it around for your good. Only love God and stay with His purpose!

WHEN I AM WEAK

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ” (2 Corinthians 12:10, ESV)

The life of a Christian presents an inescapable paradox that will perplex the casual observer. This paradox relates to the enigmatic juxtaposition of weakness and strength in the believer's life: “when I am weak then I am strong”.

Weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities are visited upon every believer, and as in the case of Apostle Paul, these are intent on interfering with our ability to serve God faithfully. But one of the great lesson God would have us learn from Paul’s experience is that physical weakness should not hinder our ability to serve God effectively.

Why was Paul content with being weak? Why did he consider his weakness strength? The answer is that he had received a promise from God. Paul pleaded with God three to deliver him from an affliction he described as a “thorn in the flesh”, a weakness, but God said to him:

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10, ESV)

God gave Paul a promise – not an explanation of the affliction, and so on, but a promise of the supply of grace! This grace is sufficient and it strengthens. God did not answer Paul’s prayer, as we would generally expect, by substituting the affliction, say, sickness with healing. Instead, God gave Paul a promise of grace to withstand and be effective despite the affliction.

God said to him, “My grace is sufficient…”, and the significance of this promise to us is immense. By this we understand grace to imply that God will provide for all our needs when we need them. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV)

Whereas the devil, through affliction (the thorn in the flesh), came to convince Paul of weakness; God, however, had a message of grace for Paul. Spectacularly, therefore, we learn about this power that is made perfect in weakness; grace that is strong enough to overpower any weakness so that we do not surfer any loss of effectiveness in performance.

Hold on to God’s promise and be fully persuaded like Paul when he confessed, “when I am weak, then I am strong”. Paul lived on God’s promise, his faith was stirred up and his expectation fired up! He was bold to say, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

O what joy it is that in our insubstantial and frail human bodies, and as yielded vessels, the power and the glory of God by grace can be so amplified, that despite weaknesses, and with Apostle Paul we are able to say, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, ESV). Make this your daily confession of faith and may it become your daily reality also!

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ZEAL WITH KNOWLEDGE

“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” (Proverbs 19:2, NIV)

There is a very powerful and common sense lesson highlighted in this passage. Being zealous is an important element in whatever we do, but it is not sufficient. Zeal and ignorance in any setting is not a good mix. It is actually a dangerous cocktail…!

 A person may be full of enthusiasm and willingness yet, if they lack knowledge, their performance will ultimately be hurt by their ignorance.

In particular, knowledge of God’s word is the foundation of all successful Christian effort, given that the Word is our only authority and guide in Christian living. God has not given us His Word for mere intellectual stimulation; rather He has given it to us, more importantly, as a life manual or a guide to living the new life we have in Christ, and to know Him.

As Apostle Paul was keen to point out, Israel had not responded to the revelation of Christ neither embraced Him as the author of the New Covenant and therefore pursued their own righteousness instead of the revealed righteousness of God. His concern overflowed in a prayer for their salvation in which he testified that:

“… they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. ” (Romans 10:1–4, NIV)

They did not turn in obedience to God’s revealed purpose, or in acceptance of His revealed love.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “You worship what you do not know.” But He did not leave it at that; He instructed her on what she needs to know in order to worship God acceptably:

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” ” (John 4:22–24, ESV)

What Jesus is teaching us here is that it is not enough to be zealous about worshipping God, but we must also know “how” He wants to be worshipped. We cannot serve God well if we don’t know how!

Nothing hurts God’s people more than lack of knowledge (or ignorance). It robs the believer of God’s blessings. Consequently one of the most important prayers you will ever pray is a prayer expressing your desire to know God and understand what His will is.

To be zealous without knowledge is not good. So add knowledge to your zeal; study the scriptures to understand the will of God, and then respond in obedience to the light you have received. Submit to God's righteousness, worship Him with knowledge!