Things Could Get Messy

“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.” This promise is only for those who are willing to give God the pieces of a broken life and say, “God, I love you, and I believe you can use the mess of my life for something good. Please take the pieces of my life and put them back together.” Rick Warren

Have you ever looked back on your life and thought about how messy life can get?  Unless you live in a bubble by yourself, this life is going to get messy.  As soon as Adam and Eve disobeyed God our legacy would be that life would be messy.  This earth we live in wouldn’t be a Garden of Eden where everything grew perfectly and it wasn’t marred by crime, pain or suffering. 

I was thinking about the times in my life when I contributed to my own life’s messiness.  We all do it.  We make decisions that go against the best that God wants for us, and we are thrown into the middle of messes and when we are in the middle of it we stop and try to figure out how we got there. 

I think the main reason we often do this is because we are so influenced by the things and people around us.  Sometimes we allow ourselves to be drawn into a messy world because of pain in our lives or we buy into the notion that what we are doing will make us happy. 

When we start looking to the world for our happiness; we are losing the battle.  We can’t escape living in a messy world.  We can, however, choose to cling to God during those messy times.  If we know and understand that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose; we can then understand that the messiness of this world can be overcome.  Let the Messiah turn your mess around.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who love us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:37-39

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we live in a fallen world where messiness is a daily occurrence.  Help me to lean on You and cling to You when messiness comes my way.  You want what is best for me and sometimes the very messiness I encounter in my daily life brings me closer to You.  I praise You and thank You for bringing blessing out of my messy life.       

Scripture: From Suffering to Glory

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.  Romans 8:18-30