“WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD!”

 Romans 8:16-17;28                           (ESV)

“16 The SPIRIT HIMSELF bears witness with our spirit that “WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD”,

17 and IF CHILDREN, then HEIRS-HEIRS OF GOD and FELLOW HEIRS WITH CHRIST, PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM IN ORDER THAT WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED WITH HIM.

28 And WE KNOW that for those who love GOD ALL THINGS WORK together for good, for those who are called according to HIS purpose.”

Occasionally my MIND is infiltrated by “the enemy” and I begin to question WHY things aren’t going just as I think they should.  Why do BAD things happen to GOOD people?  Making sure you are following GOD‘S PLAN for your future is something that I desire for my life, but the key to that statement has to be that GOD’S PLAN is being achieved, NOT MY PLAN!  

Dr. John MacArthur has been quoted as saying “A right attitude during a SEASON OF TRIAL only comes when you have an eternal perspective.”  When I get disgruntled about the position I find myself in, I have to remind myself that ALL THINGS WORK together for good, PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM IN ORDER THAT WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED WITH HIM!  Scripture never says that we will live on EASY STREET with no challenges.  As a matter of fact, PROVIDED WE SUFFER WITH HIM IN ORDER THAT WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED WITH HIM is the complete opposite of everything going the way WE WANT!

What I need to keep at the forefront of my MIND is “The SPIRIT HIMSELF bears witness with our spirit that “WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD””!  My “children” are young adults now, but both can testify that being raised by one of the parents GOD assigned to them was “challenging”, to say the least!  My methods were not always the best, but they have grown into fine young men, despite my imperfections.  

“WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD”, fellow HEIRS with CHRIST, so we can expect, even prepare for, SUFFERING to come our way!  While we WILL experience SUFFERINGS, knowing that we WILL receive a reward in HEAVEN (Romans 2:6-8) will far exceed our pain.  

FATHER IN HEAVEN, open my EYES to SEE that YOU are WORKING ALL THINGS for YOUR GLORY and I am BLESSED just to be apart of YOUR PLAN.  They persecuted and crucified YOUR SON, so since “WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD”, we are to gladly SUFFER WITH HIM!!!