This post is an introduction to a section of the site that I feel led to share with you. It’s called “Hidden in My Heart” and will feature a lesson the Lord is teaching me through his Word, interpreted through the lens of my camera.
I recently sat under the teaching of Ed Taylor, pastor of Calvary Chapel Aurora, on the familiar scripture Romans 8:28.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” NIV
Those words can sometimes sting when we’re going through something heavy. They sting because we want the trial to end. It’s not always encouraging to hear that God will work this out for good. We question it. We don’t want to hurt, we never expected to have to deal with something so difficult. Sometimes we’re even tempted to question God with, “why?” or “I don’t think you could possibly use this for good.” Simply put, we just want it to go away. Romans 8:28 is a reminder to us that God is indeed working ALL things for good in the life of the believer. The word “all” in the original greek language means “all” — which excludes nothing. This means that nothing in our life could ever fit outside the perimeters of the context of this verse. The tough circumstances we often find ourselves in don’t always feel so good. But we can rest in the knowledge that God not only has this, if we are willing to let him take the lead (that is key), but he will also use this for his glory in our lives! He knew the circumstance before we ever faced it, and knew the exact moment in time that it would rock our world. Nothing catches Him by surprise.
I was texting with a sweet friend the other day and we both expressed going through some hard stuff lately. She commented that things were tough, but good. I could only think of Romans 8:28 and texted back that apart from the Lord, tough and good could not possibly go together. Although the tough stuff doesn’t always feel good, out of it can come a beauty that is the result of the Lord working in our lives, accomplishing a greater purpose. He is truly working out those things that in our human limitation we can never see how something beautiful could come from something so ugly.
When I came across this flower, I thought, “WOW, Lord! How perfectly you illustrated this lesson in your creation.” The flower, so delicate and full of beauty was once the thorny bud you see beside it. I would have never guessed that inside that thorny, prickly bud there was something so wonderful and so beautiful. I believe this is our life, when it is yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit through the circumstances of our lives. He doesn’t promise that we will be free of pain and thorns, but his Word tells us that there is something beautiful that can come, if we will trust Him and not lean on what we understand in our human limitation.
Father, thank you for the thorns, as well as the flowers. Thank you for showing me your goodness through the pain. Thank you for your unending faithfulness.
