GOD KNOWS WHAT'S "GOOD" FOR US (1)
"It was the Father's good pleasure...to reconcile all things to Himself...through the...cross." Col. 1:19-20 NAS
GOD KNOWS WHAT'S "GOOD" FOR US (1)
Our definition of “good” is different from God’s. “It was the Father's good pleasure...to reconcile all things to Himself…through the... cross.” Carolyn Arends writes: “During a jubilant Easter service, our pastor said something that stopped me in my mental tracks: ‘The world offers promises full of emptiness. But Easter offers emptiness full of promise.’ Empty cross, empty tomb, empty graveclothes...all full of promise. If I were writing the Easter story, I don't think I’d choose emptiness as my symbolic gesture. But then, I also wouldn't be talking about strength being made perfect in weakness, (2Co 12:9), foolish things confounding the wise (1Co 1:27), the meek inheriting the earth (Mt 5:5), are the poor in spirit getting...the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). And I certainly wouldn't be talking about dying in order to live [See Jn 12:24]...I don’t understand the way God thinks. But on those days when I feel hollowed out and broken...it makes me glad to remember that for Easter people, even death is full of promise...I'm writing this...during a particularly long Good Friday season in my own life. My mom is battling cancer, and I'd be lying if I said I was able to... ‘count it all joy.’ ... I pray for healing and hope desperately it will come here on earth...I vacillate wildly between…faith and doubt, openness, and bitterness. But...we do not suffer alone, because the God of the universe wore our skin and died our death and removed its sting forever...And even when I'm...sad, I look at my mom and remember: Without Good Friday, there would be no Easter morning. So, I pray through the night, and I wait for the resurrection.”
This Message Was Taken From: Daily Devotional - A Word For You Today.
GOD KNOWS WHAT'S "GOOD" FOR US (1)
Our definition of “good” is different from God’s. “It was the Father's good pleasure...to reconcile all things to Himself…through the... cross.” Carolyn Arends writes: “During a jubilant Easter service, our pastor said something that stopped me in my mental tracks: ‘The world offers promises full of emptiness. But Easter offers emptiness full of promise.’ Empty cross, empty tomb, empty graveclothes...all full of promise. If I were writing the Easter story, I don't think I’d choose emptiness as my symbolic gesture. But then, I also wouldn't be talking about strength being made perfect in weakness, (2Co 12:9), foolish things confounding the wise (1Co 1:27), the meek inheriting the earth (Mt 5:5), are the poor in spirit getting...the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). And I certainly wouldn't be talking about dying in order to live [See Jn 12:24]...I don’t understand the way God thinks. But on those days when I feel hollowed out and broken...it makes me glad to remember that for Easter people, even death is full of promise...I'm writing this...during a particularly long Good Friday season in my own life. My mom is battling cancer, and I'd be lying if I said I was able to... ‘count it all joy.’ ... I pray for healing and hope desperately it will come here on earth...I vacillate wildly between…faith and doubt, openness, and bitterness. But...we do not suffer alone, because the God of the universe wore our skin and died our death and removed its sting forever...And even when I'm...sad, I look at my mom and remember: Without Good Friday, there would be no Easter morning. So, I pray through the night, and I wait for the resurrection.”
This Message Was Taken From: Daily Devotional - A Word For You Today.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
MAKE PRAYER YOUR FIRST PRIORITYBIBLE READING; THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (1)BIBLE READING; THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (2)BIBLE READING; THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (3)LIVING IN THE PROMISED LANDWHEN YOUR MATE STRUGGLES WITH INSECURITYKEEP PERSERVING AND REFUSE TO QUITSHOW YOUR APPRECIAITONCOUNT YOUR BLESSINGSTHE "DOWNSIDE" OF IMMORALITYHAVE YOU BEEN WRONGED? FORGIVE."KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON"BE SENSITIVE TO GOD'S PRESENCEA PRAYER FOR GOD-CONFIDENCELIVE FROM "GLORY TO GLORY"ABOUNDING GRACEPREVAILING PRAYERTHE FIRST BEATTITUDETHE SECOND BEATITUDETHE THIRD BEATITUDETHE FOURTH BEATITUDETHE FIFTH BEATITUDETHE SIXTH BEATITUDETHE SEVENTH BEATITUDETHE EIGHTH BEATITUDEBE CONTENTYOU ARE A STEWARDDEMONSTRATING GOD'S KINGDOM WHERE YOU LIVEAVOID COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERSHE'S LOOKING FOR LABORERSKNOWING AND ENJOYING YOUR INHERITANCE
February
HOW TO CONQUER YOUR JERICHO (1)HOW TO CONQUER YOUR JERICHO (2)HEALING FOR YOUR MINDHUMBLE YOURSELF, AND TRY TO MAKE IT RIGHTYOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCELIVE ON PURPOSE, FOR A PURPOSEHOW TO "RENEW" YOUR MINDFIGHT FOR YOUR MARRIAGETRUE REPENTANCE BRINGS RESTORATION"I HAVE SET THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE ME"RESPONSIBILITY AND THE "ABILITY TO RESPOND"MEDIATE AND ASSIMILATECLICK THE SAVEBUTTONBE CONFIDENT OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOUGOD FORGVES AND FORGETS (1)GOD FORGVES AND FORGETS (2)GOD FORGIVES AND FORGETS (3)GOD FORGIVES AND FORGETS (4)PRAYER IS YOUR CONNECTION TO GODHEALING FOR ANXIETYEXPERIENCING GOD'S PEACETHE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF LEADERSHIPSTAY TRUE TO THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORDLEARN TO LISTEN TO GODOVERCOMING ENVYRELY ON GOD, NOT YOURSELFPAID IN FULLTRY FOR RECONCILIATION
March
HAVING A SPIRIT-CONTROLLED TONGUE (1)HAVING A SPIRIT-CONTROLLED TONGUE (2)EMBRACE “THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD”CONFIDANTS, CONSTITUENTS, COMRADESIT CAME TO PASS — NOT STAYLIVE FOR A CAUSE GREaTER THAN YOURSELFFREE FROM GUILT AND CONDEMNATIONPRAYER IS YOUR CONNECTION TO GODJUST PLAY YOUR PARTYOU ARE AN AGENT OF RECONCILIATIONLEARN TO LISTEN TO GODWHEN YOU LONG FOR COMPANIONSHIPTHE WHOLE WORLD MUST HEAR GOD’S WORDWILL YOU HEAR CHRIST, OR THE CRISIS?LIVE LIKE YOU BELIEVE IT (1)LIVE LIKE YOU BELIEVE IT (2)THE WAY UP IS DOWNTHE WORST FAILURE….IS FAILURE TO TRYARE YOU WASHING YOUR NETS?“OVERNIGHT SUCCESS” USUALLY TAKES MANY YEARSYOU HAVE FULL FORGIVENESSKNOW WHO YOU AREHE’S THE GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGSGOD IS “AT WORK IN YOU”OVERCOMING WORKAHOLISMTHE TOUCH OF HIS HANDCHRIST CAN SATISFY YOUR SOULTRY FASTINGGOD’S WORKING IN YOU, WITH YOU, AND THROUGH YOUASK GOD FOR A DREAMTODAY GOD IS “WITH YOU”
Categories
no categories