Undetected Sacredness

I like routine. For the past several years part of my routine has been reading Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, each morning. It never ceases to amaze me how I can get something fresh from re-reading the words penned in this devotional. That happened today. Today’s reading was centered around Romans 8:28. Those that know me also know that those three numbers 828 have tremendous personal meaning for me. Today would be no exception.

“The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands.” ( italics mine)

No such thing as chance… when circumstances are confusing

I have to admit that I often find my circumstances in conflict with my prayers. I might ask God for “favor” in a situation and it seems like the opposite happens! Truth is, circumstances as they appear, don’t have to dictate how I view God’s hand in my midst. If I believe that God is ordaining my days, guiding my path, and living within me…then I will also believe that even when I don’t see Him or feel His presence, He is with me and He is working. When I least expect it, God’s sacred hand is indeed guiding me, even when it looks to be opposite to what I have prayed.

God provides what we need

True to His word, God is working to provide what we need in this life, while preparing us for the next. For many of us, what we need looks different than what we think we need. I often think I need favorable circumstances, when God in His wisdom knows that maybe in this season the bigger blessing would be to have faith tested so that I would become ” mature, complete and lacking no good thing.” James 1:2-4  It’s not important that we understand today what God is doing, but it is important for us to keep believing, keep trusting and to continue to tell ourselves the truth…God is faithful, God is my provision, My Heavenly Father knows what I have need of, He answers prayers, He is working in the things that make no sense to me. He is at work behind the scenes.

Is everything that happens good?

The million dollar question as we wrestle with human reasoning is wondering if everything is good. Truth is, there is a lot of bad all around us. We are affected by environment, other people’s bad choices and stupid actions, the economy, the weather, etc… Not everything is good, But God is always good and He is for us. The beauty of the sacred journey of walking closely to the Father is that we can trust that even the “not so good things” will work together for our good because we love God. The things that seem like the biggest bummer can turn into being the very instrument that God uses to propel us further into the right place for us.

When will we see God’s hand?

We are trained to focus on what makes sense to us and what is in front of us. If things look bad, then they must be, right? It is time to turn our focus around. Scripture teaches that the mind set on the spirit, is focused differently than the mind set on the flesh. Romans 8:5. Those who want to be at peace, will keep focused on the truth that in Everything God Is Working.

“What shall we say to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?” Romans 8:31 Amp

“Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 Amp

He is at work in you today, my friend.

Stop now to thank Him for His hand in your life today!