‘…who always leads us in triumph in Christ…’ 2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV
Jesus said, ‘…Here on earth you will have many trials…’ (John 16:33 NLT) Having problems doesn’t mean you’re a fake, a failure or the focus of God’s displeasure. The storm tested both the believer’s and the unbeliever’s house. (Matthew 7:24–27) But the believer overcame it. So what’s God’s goal? To make you an overcomer, not an escape artist! ‘Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.’ Yes, God will deliver you but first He will develop you. There are problems you can’t avoid and must deal with, such as: Your physical heredity. In a society obsessed with ‘looks,’ are you unhappy about yours? Feel too tall, too short, unattractive, not athletic; you’re apple-shaped, pear-shaped, your nose is all wrong? Got freckles, double chin, protruding ears? Tried to darken it, lighten it, accentuate it, hide it, reduce it, enlarge it, but it never looks the way you wish? Beware of our culture’s carnal norms. ‘They measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another… without understanding.’ (2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV) The Bible points out that ‘sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator… [who say], “Stop, You’re doing it wrong!”’ (Isaiah 45:9 NLT) Look your best, but accept what you can’t change. God doesn’t make mistakes. Don’t be like those ‘without understanding.’ ‘People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT) Adopt God’s standard, not man’s. Start appreciating yourself.
SoulFood: 2 Chr 16–18, John 12:37–50, Ps 102:18–28, Pro 27:13–16
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©