Providence 365: Week 7

Welcome to another week of our Providence 365; this is Barbara and I'm glad you're here.
Did anyone groan inwardly upon seeing that this week's verse is Romans 8:28?
This poor verse has gotten a terrible reputation in recent years. It's been flung about carelessly, thoughtlessly, flippantly, and probably a little bit self-righteously. It's been ill-used and over-used. It's been a verbal crutch when a hug and a simple "I'm so sorry" just didn't seem, well, spiritual enough.
But, it's a beautiful, hopeful, and most of all true bit of Scripture. No less beautiful, hopeful, and true due to its poor handling. And, we know that ALL Scripture is given to us for our benefit, for our encouragement, for our building up, even the annoying parts.
So, I ask you today to take a fresh look at this verse:
"And, we know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Think on that, my sisters! Everything in our lives is directed by a loving and gracious Father who has our ultimate good in mind. Things aren't random, with God in Heaven wringing His hands, wishing He could just do something!
In Scripture, we see Joseph being thrown into a well to die, then sold to traders, and languishing in prison. We read of Jonah being swept into the sea and swallowed by a huge fish. And, poor Job... Ultimately, we see Christ Himself, in agony on the Cross. And, in each of these situations, what could so easily seem to be pointless suffering was all part of God's plan.
In our lives, we have wayward children, distant spouses, heartaches, and crushing disappointments. And, our natural inclination is to ask, "Why, God?"
The difficulty is that often we don't see the reason for years, if at all, in this life. Despite things not seen, we are still to trust God, to have faith that our loving Father will not give us a stone when we ask for a fish. Fill your soul with the Word and ask the Spirit to comfort you and strengthen your faith. We can mourn, but not as those who have no hope. We can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, all the while knowing who holds our lives in His tender care. Rest in that, my sisters.
You can download the wordart for this week HERE. Please stop by the forum and post your layouts in our gallery. If you are just joining, us welcome! We're glad you're here.