Love changes everything! Hear this great verse again:
“And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” Ro 8:28 BSB
Do you think it would be right if my neighbor came over and handed me his child’s college bill and expected me to pay for it? Of course not! His child is not MY child, after all. Now if I had the resources and decided to be generous that is one thing, but to expect me to pay his bills? That’s just silly. Same here, my Friends. If we do not belong to God’s Forever Family, why should we expect the confidence and relief this verse promises us? This assurance is only for those who love God. Those of us who have sincerely surrendered our lives to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those of us who have chosen to stop living apart from God and are, more and more, leaning on Him and His Love to help us live the best life we can here, before we move on to Paradise forevermore. We must be a child of God in order to receive the freedom of God’s Love and Grace.
This just makes sense doesn’t it? I mean if I want nothing to do with God, then even if God blesses me…because He does bless those who refuse Him as well as those of us who surrender to His Love, do you know that? (see Mt 5:45) Yet if I refuse Him though, I won’t even be aware of those blessings. I will not see how He is working it all together for good. And even if I see any good at all, I will not give Him credit for any of it. See? It is not that God abandons those who have not surrendered, it is rather that they forsake Him.
Listen, the truth is not everyone will be granted entry into Heaven (check out Dan 12:2 and Mt 25:46 if you’re not sure), but for those of us who choose to return God’s Love, in whatever limited, childlike way we can, we can know that God is working all things together for our good because we love Him and…hmmm…and there’s more to this? Yes there is! Let’s continue tomorrow…
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
February: 5- Jn 10:10; 6- Ro 6:23; 7- Rev 21:4; 8- Php 4:13
March: 9- 1Pe 5:7; 10- Jn 8:32; 11- Dt 30:19; 12- Jn 3:30; 13- 2Chron 20:3
April: 14- 2Chron 20:12
———-
Holy Week break: Lk 23:34; Lk 23:43; Jn 19:26; Mt 27:26; Jn 19:28; Jn 19:30; Lk 23:46
———-
15- 2Chron 20:15b
16- 2Chron 20:17
17- Ro 8:28
<>< Peace, Diane
