The Word - Jan. 26, 2012 - God's Purpose in Discouragement

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them" (Romans 8:28).


Getting old is very frustrating to me. I never have fit the image of the "grandfather type figure," sitting in a rocking chair with nothing better to do than rock my grandchildren. After all these years and finally getting most of the Scripture "puzzle" to fit together, to be "set aside" does not fit my calling from the Lord, or Scripture itself. Every once in a while I have to let the Holy Spirit calm me down. Once I get over my initial frustration, I ask, "Lord what are you saying to me? What more do you want me to learn?" Our Scripture for today, familiar, and used in preaching many times, is what He brought to my mind recently.

Now I realize the adversity in your life may be a far more serious situation than my frustration. Today I would like to share with you what God's purpose is for allowing difficulty (including my frustration) in the lives of His children. It is to take us to another level in our spiritual growth. It is within the context of this principle that Paul was able to give us the truth found in our scripture.

Romans 8:28 is a conditional promise. For the person who only knows about God but doesn't love Him and so has no idea what it means to develop an intimate relationship with Him, they will never experience "all things working for good." Our scripture does not necessarily mean that nothing harmful will ever enter out lives. It just might mean that the "things" which enter our lives, although seemingly harmful, might just be a spiritual lesson that results in refining our character as a result of adversity.

When we allow God to shape our priorities, adversity can take on an entirely different meaning. We learn to see the circumstances as an integral part of what God needs to accomplish in our lives which will be for our good and His glory. We begin to understand that what we are facing is many times the path to ultimate greater joy and peace.

We don't panic and assume God has forgotten us. Why? Because according to Romans 8:28, God is in the process of bringing another blessing into our lives. If you are a believer, a born again follower of Jesus Christ, God is in the process of teaching you about His faithfulness, goodness, compassion, and holiness. From the Lord's point of view, our spiritual growth is far more important than our ease, comfort and pleasure. He is teaching us that He loves us, and desires us to learn how to rely completely on Him!