All Things Work For Good

"Everything works out for good, to those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28

If there is any scripture that I could claim as my own, I think it would be Romans 8:28. There have been so many things in my life that should have gone better, but then went sour, many by my own doing. But God is such a faithful God. He took the bad things in my life and turned them into good. Isn't that awesome? A God who turns bad things into good - He's a God who has the ability to perform miracles, like turning water into wine.
 
In the New Testament, Jesus was at a wedding at Capernum. They must have had some great parties back then, because this wedding was to last for three days! The "wedding planner", as we'll call him, realized he was going to run out of wine. Jesus was called in to help. But up to this point, Jesus had not worked any miracles. Nevertheless, his mother exhorted Him to help. She believed in Him, that He was the Messiah, and she knew that He would perform miracles.
 
Jesus' mother said, "Do whatever He tells you to do." Jesus instructed the servants to fill barrels with water. It must have been a scene back then, filling these big barrels with water all the way from the well. But finally, all of them were filled. And do you know what happened? The water was turned into the most delicious wine the people had ever tasted.
 
Today it is the same with us. We are the barrels of water that get turned into wine. In the Old Testament water was a symbol of life, and wine was a symbol of joy. When we have faith in God, God is able to transform our lives - transform our lives from ordinary to extraordinary - even joy!
 
Have you given your life to God? Perhaps you believe, but you've never given Him your life. He does more with our lives than we can ever fathom. And we receive joy to boot. Ask Him to take control of your life and do incredible things with it. You will not regret it if you do.

Everyday Miracles

 

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” -Psalm 77:14

Have you ever had something miraculous happen to you?  We tend to think of miracles as big things such as winning a million dollars or getting healed from cancer.  When these types of big things happen, they are incredible!  And we should give God the glory.  But too often we forget to remember the everyday miracles that God puts right in front of us. 

We miss getting in a car accident by just inches, or, we gain the courage to try something new.  We find the perfect dress for the perfect occasion (for girls), or a butterfly flutters across our path – these are many a small miracle that we tend to take for granted.

The Bible says that not one sparrow falls without God knowing about it. ”Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”  -Matthew 10:29

Things that may seem small really are miraculous. It is a miracle to me that we have so many jobs in America, even if the unemployment rate is high.  It's incredible that my Father in heaven takes care of my mom everyday, and there isn’t more crime and hated among people with everything negative that’s happened to each of us.  The presence of love is a small miracle in itself!  But I can also cite specific times when God did small miracles.  It helps me recognize His presence and activity in my life.

Can you think of a time when God performed a miracle in your life, small or big?  Reminisce on that today, and thank Him for it. If you can’t think of a time, ask God to reveal himself to you in this way.  We never know what can happen when we have faith in our unfailing God.