Dear Friends,
I pray this letter finds you in good health and prospering in all you set your hand to, even as your soul is prospering.
There are many promises in the Word of God for us to take hold of, because there is a thief in the world that wants to steal, kill and destroy us. (Jn 10.10) God gave us these promises in order to defeat the thief, Satan. Since we live in this world we all experience setbacks, battles, and troubles.
The Word of the Lord tells us in Romans 8:28 “And 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.” God’s desire for us is that all things work out for good. We are called according to His purpose of salvation, and we have answered that call in our acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter the magnitude of our problem, God wants to work out every difficulty. He calls us to victory, and we must be holding to His Word above the problem. As we hold to His Word we will start to view this scripture through the eye of faith. The eye of faith is the ability to look to the future in faith, knowing God’s promise is sure, regardless of what we are facing.
I heard a news anchor say to their co hosts that God caused the epidemic in the world and it was for our good, even though we do not understand it. That is an ignorance of what the Word of God says to us. It does not say God causes all things. It says that whatever things are caused He can work it out for our good. Loving God is to hold to His Word of promise to us in the midst of the things that are caused in our life.
God does not expect us to figure out or to know how things will work themselves out, (that’s God’s job), but we are to have confidence that they will work out because His Word promises it and we have put God in control of the situation by staying on the Word that deals with our situation. Have you tried in the past to figure out how God would deliver you? Were you ever right? Unless the Holy Spirit specifically told you, then you probably never had it figured out the way God brought it to pass. God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He has told us He knows the plans He has for us. Those plans are successful and ways of peace. (Jeremiah 29:11). He has just decided to keep these plans secret, and not tell us how He will accomplish His will for our lives. (Deuteronomy 29:29). It is not being kept from us, but being kept for us. He only asked us to trust Him, and His love for us.
Jesus used the eye of faith while on the earth. We see in Hebrews 12:2 “…who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” Jesus looked ahead to us and saw many experience eternal life and victory through His sacrifice. The Father had promised it. Father said He would not abandon Jesus to the pit of hell. Psalm 16:8-11 “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to hell; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Just as He lived on the earth as a man, using the eye of faith, we are to do the same.
James 1:2 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” Jesus considered the joy and turned from the feelings of shame that he despised. He had to turn from the natural situation that He could see, and with the eye of faith keep looking to the promise of the Father.
Only God can take the complicated messes we get ourselves into and make them turn out for good. The Word does not tell us to be joyful over our problems, or that our troubles are good. If you are experiencing depression, that is not good. Dealing with children on drugs, or running with the wrong crowd, is not good. Marriage complications or strains on relationships are not a joy. Our problems are not good, but God can turn them around and work them out for the good. Many of the greatest triumphs I have had in life have come out of great trials and pressures.
Let’s look at what used to be one of my favorite desserts, chocolate cake. Some of the ingredients of a chocolate cake are raw chocolate, flour, and baking powder. Many of the ingredients of a chocolate cake do not taste very good if you eat them alone, but when you blend them together, put them in an oven, a wonderful tasting dessert is the result.
There are situations in life we face- sickness, financial difficulty, personal conflicts, death of a loved one. How does God take these and work them out for the good? None of us know. But one thing is true, as sure as a good tasting chocolate cake will come out of the oven, my situation will turn out for the good.
Along with the bad tasting raw chocolate, baking powder, and flour, there are also the good tasting ingredients of eggs and sugar. If we will mix the bad tasting situations of life with the good tasting Word and Holy Spirit, then the Divine Baker, God Himself, will bake a good tasting result in our life, working it out for good. All God asks of us is to trust Him, by trusting His Word. Keep the Word in your mouth. If you are going to talk about your situation, talk the Word of God in faith.
The eye of faith is developed through knowledge and application of God’s Word in our life. I thank God for all of the ministers, pastors, spiritual fathers who taught me through the years. I know you have yours also. Where would any of us be if we were left to ourselves trying to obtain every revelation on our own? These anointed individuals have heeded the call of God on their lives and have helped us to develop a lifestyle of faith, putting our trust in God for the future to work out for our good.
Here at New Life Family Worship, every cd we record, every service we have for any age group, every book we buy for the bookstore, and every Livestream broadcast or podcast we produce, every home group, is designed to instill faith in the listener and a complete trust in God for the future. The Word of God freeing people from a life of spiritual ignorance and making it possible for people’s lives to radically change for God’s glory as He works all things out for the good.
Until next time may you follow the Lord on the path of life in the fulness of joy, and the place that drips in the abundance of the anointing and blessings.
Pastor Bob
