A Hard Couple of Weeks.

It has been a hard couple of weeks.

A number of my brothers and sisters are suffering in different ways. Financial worry. Pain.  Sickness.  Death. Health scares. Oftentimes it can all seem so meaningless.  Perhaps we cry out, “WHY GOD?”

I have, I admit it.

But we know that God never allows suffering without purpose in the lives of His children. Even when we can’t see it. He never permits affliction unless He uses that affliction for our good and His glory.  He never wastes pain. He never wastes suffering, or affliction or grief. There is no meaningless pain for His covenant children.  Even the deepest most excruciating pain is not meaningless. He is Good.  He is Love.  He is in control…down to the most minute detail. He always causes our affliction to work for our ultimate good.  What is that Good?

To make us rely on him.  To make us realize that only HE is all satisfying…that HE is the only fount of all good things.

To make us more like Jesus.  To increase us in our Christ-likeness.

It is a good day to pray…so let’s pray.

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.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ~ Romans 8:28-29