Even Now: Trusting God in the StruggleSample

When things we don’t want or expect to happen do, it can feel like God has forgotten or given up on us, but He hasn’t.

Even now, God is working. What is He working toward? Two things: His Glory and the good of those who love Him.

We’d like to come first in that list, but we don’t—and shouldn’t. Only God is God, Holy and worthy of worship. God’s number one priority is and must always be the recognition and praise of His own Perfection. Those who truly love Him agree. The fact that our good is anywhere on God’s list at all is just evidence of His Goodness and Grace.

We know this, of course, but we forget sometimes. A little arrogant, we decide for ourselves what “our good” includes and then expect God to deliver it. We set ourselves up for disappointment and then get upset with God for failing to follow through on promises He never made. Make no mistake: God promises Eternal Joy, Peace, Power, and Spiritual Protection to His children, but He does not promise physical health and protection, material wealth, or happiness.

As children of God and co-heirs with Christ, our best “good” is always transformation into His Image and the advancement of God’s Kingdom, which is our future inheritance. God uses tough times to accomplish both.

It’s okay to get upset when those tough times come, but we can’t let the Enemy mess with our minds or start believing things that aren’t true. When tough times come—whether they are the natural consequences of our own actions, trials allowed to shape us, or the loving discipline of our Heavenly Father—we must hold tight to what we know (that God is Gracious, Merciful, Kind, Patient, Wise, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Sovereign, etc.) and cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He uses those tough times to shape us into the Image of Jesus and to advance God’s Kingdom. We do that by confessing, repenting, obeying, and moving forward as He leads.

As you read today’s passages, consider what Joseph went through, what God might have been trying to accomplish in his life, how he responded, and how his response impacted the way his story turned out. Then consider how God might be working in your life.