We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 HCSB
Most of you know this is among my favorite verses. It’s God’s promise to us that all things will work for our good. When I say, “our” good I am referring to those who love the Lord and work according to His purpose. This verse does not make this promise to everyone it only applies to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose or does the work that He has called them to do.
How do we know what God is calling us to do? Well, we begin by entering into a close relationship with Him through church attendance or worship and praise, Bible study and constant prayer. By constant prayer I mean that we stay in constant contact with Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says that we must trust in the Lord with all our heart and not rely on our own understanding and that we should think about Him in all we do, and He will guide us on the right paths. If we are always focused on God, we rely on Him to guide us and help us to make the right decisions. We rely on Him to guard our mouths and help us with what we say. I am sorely lacking in this one, but I am trying to do better. As He guides our paths, we will come to understand what it is He wants us to do.
We all like to think that if we are a Christian life is all lollipops and rainbows, but this is not the case. We go through trials and tribulations to make us stronger. You would never appreciate the shelter of your home if you had never been out in the cold or the rain, right? We learn to appreciate God’s love for us when He brings us through tough times.
If you have resolved to get closer to God this year, that’s great but you must keep one thing in mind. That will infuriate the devil. That will make him really angry. He will do all he can to stop you. He will do his best to distract you. He will do his best to throw a monkey wrench in your plans.
When we start trying to do better is when the devil gets busy. While we are doing his work, he’s happy and he leaves us alone. But the minute we try to get closer to God, the devil gets to work trying to stop it. He will use people to distract us. He will use situations to distract us. We must be on guard against this. We are told in 1 Peter 5:8 that we must be serious and alert because the devil roams around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Peter tells us in verse 9 to resist him and be firm in the faith because we know that Christians all over the world are suffering as well. James 4:7 tells us to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from us.
If things aren’t going so well as we start this new year, know that God’s got your back if you love Him with all your heart and you are seeking to do His work. He tells us in Matthew 28:19 to go out and make disciples of all nations. This means we are to be a witness for Him. We are witnesses not only through our words, but through our actions. Let others see Christ in you. Ephesians 5:1 tells us that we are to be imitators of Christ. As we strive to imitate Christ, God will work all things out for our good. We must focus on Him. We must do His work and He will take good care of us.
Matthew 6:33 tells us that we should first seek the kingdom of God and that all things will be added to us. This means that we focus on God. This means that we put God first in all that we do, and He will provide all we need. He will take care of us.
If you are dealing with stress and anxiety as you start this new year, give it to God. Let it go and let Him take care of it. It’s probably more than you can do anyway. Give it all over to Him. Trust Him to take good care of it and to work all of it out for your good if you are loving Him and doing what He has called you to do.
Have a great day!