Good Things: Shifting Perspectives
Sometimes we forget we serve an all-powerful God who can do anything He desires to do. Who can thwart any plan of the Highest One? Certainly no one! He brings good out of suffering, and positive things out of the brokenness.
The gospel teaches us that no matter what evil men and women may plan for others, ultimately it serves God’s higher purposes.
The gospel is the basis of our faith, and part of that gospel message is that the wickedness of men leads to the great things of the LORD.
Jesus was killed according to the Scriptures, and on the third day, rose again.
Because of this, we now have access to eternal life in the world to come.
His resurrection is the bridge between death and life, and the method by which God will restore the lost House of Israel from being sifted among the nations.
But it took men wanting to kill him out of envy and spite to get that process going.
See? Good out of the evil in this world.
That is often the pattern found in the Bible.
Crucifixion before exaltation. Humility before rising. And it’s often others who do this.
No plan of any enemy will ever stand before the King of Kings.
Our God doesn’t let injustice reign on this planet. It may appear He is silent, though those moments are often the times when people eat the fruit of their own wrongdoings.
There is no reason to be like the wicked and plot against others.
My personal philosophy is to lift others upward, because I want everyone to succeed at what they're trying to do. When I see a genius business idea, I don’t get wicked thoughts about how to tear it down–I simply thank the Lord for blessing someone with that wisdom.
My gift is my own, so it makes no sense to follow in the ways of the scribes and Pharisees by intending harm to others in slander, gossip, or Yahweh forbid, harming them physically.
I’d rather stay on the righteous side of things, myself.
My point in using the negative events of the gospel and the wicked plans of men in my examples is to say that God works all things for the good of those who love Him. That doesn’t mean He wants us to sin and break His commands (the same thing, really) to make that sweetness from the sour things. But Romans 8:28 says that for those who love Him, He will do this. That means you must show God's love by keeping His commandments and treating others fairly, which in turn causes Him to show His love and favor to you. A murderer who kills his wife for cheating on him will not be excused for it because he finds Christ later down the line, though it may be forgiven.
That life will have been taken already, and the ripple effects would propagate immediately.
God is in the business of turning ashes into wonderful forests, taking the broken pieces of life and making a beautiful restoration.
An evil relationship may have forced your thoughts into thinking love is a scam in this world, when in reality all it takes is the right person, the right spark, to understand and believe that love isn’t always a disaster.
God can bring the right people to bless you. You must trust Him in the process.
Sometimes you won’t click with someone, but they might be an excellent friend and confidant. That’s still valuable. Positive results from the things you might think are purely negative.
Getting laid off from a place you’ve worked for twenty years might also be a blessing in disguise. You might spend your free time coming up with an energy drink that doesn’t crash you or have too many calories that eventually sells for millions because the time you had spent between making a living and losing it all gave you that weird idea. Stranger things have happened, of course.
God brings His infinite light into our worst situations. There is no need to fear negativity when you walk with Yahweh, who gave His own son, Yeshua, as a gift to us, using the evil in this world for His ultimate plans.
Trust that God is good to you every day of this life you have been gifted. I keep you in my prayers every single day, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and even those who don’t know Him.
I pray for others because I want God to impact their lives as much as He has touched my own.
Remember, things aren’t always what they seem—and the good might be just around the corner.
I certainly feel blessed to see certain things in a positive light, and feel quite flattered that God allows me to have such a mindset.
I’m extremely happy right now and will remain that way for the foreseeable future–especially since I serve the One who holds that future and the good it will bring in His hands.
Shalom and many blessings to you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Even to those who don’t yet know Him. I extend a warm offering of true shalom to everyone.
