Weekly Devotional 6-6-16 The Road Ahead
The road ahead of each one of us is interesting. To some it is worrisome as they fret about what may lie ahead. Others see it as a challenge and are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Some things that one may encounter will be hurtful while some things will be no more than an inconvenience. Yet, on the other hand, some-things will bring blessings and happiness. It is hard to prepare for the unknown, but every wise traveler should prepare.
While we Christians do not know the road ahead, we know who built the road and we can be assured that He knows beforehand what we will encounter. In fact, He has prepared many of these things Himself. We may not understand why He allowed us to run into this pothole or that pothole (this difficulty or that difficulty), but we can be confident that in all things He is working for our ultimate good. That is, that at the end of the trip He will have conformed us into the image of His Son by using these potholes or these difficulties (see Romans 8:28).
We should also hold onto this truth; “31bIf God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ 37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31b-39 NKJV).
No matter who or what we encounter on the road of life, we can rest in the knowledge that at the end of the road we will find ourselves in the presence of our Holy Father and our Redeemer, Jesus.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Steve Lampman