The Word To Live By: 8-5-26
Phil Waggoner
We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
The Word to live by: One of the reasons people get the goodness of God messed up with the stealing, killing, and destruction of the devil is they think God does bad things to teach you something or to open a door of blessing that you wouldn’t have walked through had it not been for the test, trial or tribulation in your life. Let’s break this verse down. To begin with, it says God causes all things to work together for good, not He causes all things for the sake of good. God has the wisdom and ability to turn the things the devil means for destruction into something good. God uses His Word to teach us, to correct us and to lead us, not killing stealing or destroying. We have already talked about the power of God in His Word to heal and protect and to change us. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” I don’t need God to put me into the hospital to teach me something. I can read His Word in the comfort of my office and apply it to my life on a daily basis. That is much more profitable to me than lying around sick or injured. The next part of that verse says that God does this for those who love Him. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep My commandments.” Verse 21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.” So we show God that we love Him by doing what His Word tells us to do. (By the way, that’s called faith and faith pleases God and brings rewards into our lives when we diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6) So God turns the bad to good (notice, the bad happens) when we diligently, consistently seek Him through His Word. I don’t think there is a better example of this than the story of Joseph in the Old Testament (Genesis 37-50). And finally, “To those who are called according to His purpose.” I don’t care who you are or what you have done or are doing, God has a purpose for your life. There is the famous Jeremiah 29:11 verse, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” God has a plan for your life and it is a plan for good. Build your life every day on that fact. We don’t thank God for anything that kills, steals, or destroys, but we thank Him for turning it to good. As my mother used to say, “It’s all good, just some is better than others.”
Read through the Bible in a year: 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:13; 2 Kings 18; Micah 7;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 5, Matthew 18:18-35, Romans 8
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160