a promise only for believers…

romans 8.28 (niv), and we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love HIM, who have been called according to his purpose.

question: can GOD bring good out of evil? can GOD take even the sins that i've done in my life – even the wrong things, bad, dumb, stupid decisions – and somehow fit them into his plan? the answer is yes!

example: matthew 1. the genealogy of JESUS. from abraham all the way to mary. outside of mary, there are only four women mentioned in matthew 1. in jewish history, they did the genealogy, the family tree, by the man. but there are four women mentioned in the lineage of JESUS. they are tamar, who was seduced by her father in law and bore a child; rahab, who was a prostitute; ruth, was a moabitess foreigner who married a jew illegally; and bathsheba, and we all know her story.

the point is, GOD even takes the mistakes we make and weaves them into HIS giant, great program and plan and brings good out of them. out of those four women who had terrible experiences in their life, GOD even used them to be in the lineage of JESUS.

isn't that incredible? isn't it good news to know that you don't have to be perfect the rest of your life to be in GOD's plan? isn't it great to know that even though you make mistakes, that GOD will fit it in. and there's no question that because of a mistake in your past you'll have to settle for GOD's second best the rest of your life? the phrase “second best” just isn't in GOD's word.

GOD has made it possible for us to live a life without miscalculation. that means everything works together for everybody? no. this is a promise only for believers. for those who love him, for those who have been called according to his purpose.

the fact is everything does not work together for good for unbelievers, for people who have not put their life in control of the LORD. everything does not work together for good. things work out wrong. but it's a beautiful promise for us.

just a thought from the front porch…