Trade Your Silver Lining for Hope

The brokenness of this world we live in has not left us unscathed. We are witnesses to so much loss, illness, and difficult situations here within the past year. One of the things that we can often do in the midst of our difficult situations is to try to find the “silver-lining.”

Our experiences in this broken world may not always have a silver lining that will do something to our situation to change it, but we can always have confidence in a HOPE that God is going to do something with our situation as we endure it. Paul says, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

For those who love God, all things are going to work out for our good! But what is our good? Paul said those who “love God” are “called according to his purpose.” God defines the good and it is according to the purpose he called his children to. What is his purpose? 

“For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Romans 8:29) God’s plan has always been that those who love God would “be conformed to be the image of his Son.” The good is that God works ALL things together to make us more like Jesus until the day we see Jesus. God is working all things new in Christ, and that starts with me and you. We will be without sin, without pain, without suffering, and without everything that plagues this broken world and our lives. We will dwell with God, and God will dwell with us. 

Furthermore, what else can we cling to in the midst of God working all things for our good? Paul says, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

As God makes us more like His Son Jesus, we can have confidence that there is no affliction, no power, no death, NOTHING that could separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  God has promised that He will do something with all things and has given us truth to cling to in all things. God has given us the comfort, confidence, and hope of Romans 8 until we see Revelation 21.

Pastor John