We know that all things work together for good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.     Romans 8:28 HCSB

In Sunday School, we are studying the book of Daniel. Daniel is one of many Jews taken captive during the Babylonian siege in Jerusalem. God did this to punish those who had fallen into idolatry and refused to repent and turn back to Him. Daniel and his friends faced some trying times, but they obeyed God. Now nowhere in the Bible does it say specifically that God blessed their obedience, but it does speak of how God gave them favor with the king and his officials. It does say how they were promoted to positions of authority. We know they were obedient and we know God blessed them, so it seems like a no-brainer to me.

We saw the same thing with the historical narrative of Joseph in Genesis. We also saw the same thing in the story of Ruth, Esther, Nehemiah and many others in the Old Testament.

When we strive to be obedient to Christ, it doesn’t mean we will live a trouble-free life. It simply means God will be there by our side when we face difficult times. It means we can trust in Him to take good care of us. We can trust that our Scripture passage holds true.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

If you study your Bible, you know that as Christians we will face hardships and persecutions. You also know that God will be there for us. We will not have to endure these things alone. We will not have to fight these battles because we serve a God who fights for us.

This doesn’t mean we can live anyway we choose, and God will honor that with blessings. It means we can trust in God to protect us when we choose to live under his protective shelter (Psalm 91:1-2).

When we are obedient to God, and we honor Him in the things we say and do, we can trust Him to work all things out for our good. Our Scripture passage doesn’t say He does this for everyone. It specifically says He does this for those who love Him and live according to His purpose or His calling on their lives.

The song says to trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Put your trust in Him, surrender your life to Him. Obey Him and live in the way He calls us to live. When you do this, you can rest in His embrace knowing He’s got you.

Isaiah 43:2 says, “I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you.”

God doesn’t tell us we will never walk through the fire or the flood, we can rest assured we will. He tells us when we do, He will be with us, and He will protect us.

It’s not if we encounter trouble, it’s when we encounter trouble, we can know God’s with us. We can know He works to protect us, and He works all these things out for our good.

Won’t you trust in Him today and obey His word? You will never be sorry you did.

Have a great day!