Monday, May 13, 2013

Transforming impossible situations

Romans 11:31
Daniel 3:14-23
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How could it ever possibly be good for anyone to disobey God? Paul makes it sound as if God knew the Israelites would disobey Him and set it up so they in fact would. Like that's good, and better things come to them out of their disobedience than they would have experienced without it. Perhaps though it's not so much the way God designed their salvation but rather the inevitable choice they would make, given who He created them to be. Only a stiff-necked people would be tenacious enough to hold onto their heritage for so many generations through so many trials (starting off with 400 years of slavery!), yet who would expect perfect obedience from a stiff-necked people? Knowing that they would certainly reject the Messiah and "become disobedient", He had everything in place to transform the situation, for them to return to Him and receive His mercy.
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The Lord works extremely well through imperfect people (1 Cor 12:9) and imperfect situations. When disaster strikes, He transforms the circumstances to bring great good out of evil. Was it good for Nebuchadnezzar to command his subjects to worship his image? No, absolutely not. Yet what a fabulous opportunity to reveal God's supremacy over all the false gods of Babylon. He never forced or led the king to make that foolish choice, nor Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to choose the threat of the furnace rather than worship an idol. He knew that they would and He used the opportunity to prove His power because of a terrible situation without causing it to begin with.
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When we are in difficult situations, we can hope in the Lord for a miracle. We can look to see how He will transform us and the position we are in, not because He designed or desired the trial to take place in our lives, but because He is fully capable of taking what is impossible and using it to showcase His power.

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