Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

March 8, 2018

by Pastor Hawtree

I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:

TO MAKE THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD (part 3)

ROMANS 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose

According to this verse, there is one last stipulation that God has for things to work out for good in your life.

“TO THEM WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE”

This is a major stipulation. This is what you would call a deal breaker. It is very clear. Those who are called according to God‘s purpose!

1.) “Are you called?”

Simple answer, yes you are. We have already discussed this in previous devotionals but you have been called by God. When you and I became believers, we were automatically called by God. Let me prove it. The next two verses tell us this:

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called:

The word “foreknow” simply means known before. That means that God knew us before we were even born. God says those that He knew before, He predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. That word “predestinated” simply means it was predetermined. It means that God already had a purpose for us, in that purpose was for us to become like Christ. And verse 30 says that those that God knew before (that’s us), and those He already had a purpose for (that’s us), God called (That’s us). So we have been called by God to strive to be like Christ. That is God‘s purpose for our life, to be like Christ.

The problem seems to be that you and I are often called by “our” purpose instead of “God‘s” purpose. We are working hard to do what we want instead of what God wants. We seem to have our own purpose, instead of striving to follow God‘s purpose. God makes it clear that in order for things to work together for good, we must be working according to God‘s purpose. As soon as you and I begin to try to accomplish our own purpose in our life, we cannot expect things to work out together for good. God will not take control, we must give God control. But if we refuse to give God control, we cannot expect the blessings from it. Let me put it this way:

God’s purpose, God’s provision! Your purpose, your problem!

I am persuaded that God can work things together for good, if we let Him.