God's Will

"Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above" (John 19:11).

Nothing that is not God's will can come into the life of one who trusts and obeys God. This fact should be enough to make our life one of endless thanksgiving and joy. For "God's will is the one hopeful, glad, and glorious thing in the world"; and it is working  for us all the time, andfor our favor if we are surrendered and believing.

Someone who was passing through deep affliction once wrote to a friend: "Is it not a glorious thing to know that, no difference how unjust a thing may be, or how certain it may seem to be from Satan, by the time it reaches us it is 'God's will' for us, and will work for our own good ? For all things work together for good to us who love God. And even of the betrayal, Christ said, "The cup which my Father gave me, shall I not drink it?" We are truly blessed if we are living in the center of God's will. All the attacks that Satan, through others' sin, can hurl against us are not only powerless to harm us, but are turned into blessings on the way.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Borrowed..........

Tough Love

"When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:6).


In the beginning of this chapter, we read that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," as if to teach us that at the very heart and foundation of all God's dealings with us, however dark and mysterious they may be, we must believe in and acknowledge the infinite, unmerited, and unchanging love of God. Love can sometimes permit pain. The sisters never doubted that He would make haste and prevent their brother's death, but, "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was."

What a startling "therefore"! He abstained from going, not because He did not love them, but because He did love them.

Who can estimate how much we owe to suffering and pain? But for them we should have little scope for many of the chief virtues of the Christian life. Where were faith, without trial to test it; or patience, with nothing to bear; or experience, without tribulation to develop it?--Selected


I have, myself, had things in my life that seemed to test my ability to trust. Was God angry at me? Why, surely I felt I didn't deserve to have this bad thing spring up in my path. But it was ultimately for my own good (Rom. 8:28). This passage in John shows that Jesus knew it would be wrong to prevent Lazarus' death. If the Lord were to stop Lazarus from dying then He would never have been able to show Gods ability to raise the dead. Even when things seem bleak......even death.....we must trust. We can't see the end... only God can.