How Real Is God To You? Part Two
By Johnny Angel
Are we thankful when we get into bad situations? I have found that
bad situations are certainly ways that God can prove He is real. For
example, I have been all stressed out this past week figuring out which
schools I would be assigned to as a part of my major in elementary
education. I have to do five hours of field placement for a class each
week and five hours of field placement for a scholarship each week.
During our 5th Quarter worship at the BSU Thursday night, one of the
summer missionaries got up and shared how that his summer mission
experience was horrible the first few weeks because he wasn't allowing
God to help him. He was also not seeking God. But when he turned
to God, things fell into place. I turned my stresses about school over to
God. Then I found my placement for the scholarship. It will be a
second grade classroom. The teacher is a Christian. I may also get to
do my other hours in her classroom. I had no idea it would be second
grade. I also had no idea I would be assigned a second grade Sunday
School class. As I have turned my problems over to God and allowed
Him to help me, things have come together. He has proven that He is
real!
I felt that the devotion in today's Campus Journal would fit well into this
series and be appropriate for today.
Thankful--By Accident
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Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Sarah was home from college for a few days. She had places to go
and friends to meet, so she borrowed Mom's Bronco. But along the way
she ran into trouble.
She thought she could make it through the yellow light before it turned
red. A driver coming from the other direction thought it was time to
turn left. Crunch! The Bronco hit the other car, rolled twice, and
flopped to rest on its side--totaled.
She was grateful that her only injury was a bloody nose.
But to add major insult to minor injury, the police officer issued Sarah
a ticket for being at fault. That meant having points added to her
driving record, which meant that higher insurance rates were sure to
follow. On top of all this, she had to face her parents.
And the Bible says this is a time to be thankful? How does the apostle
Paul's command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all
circumstances," or his statement in Ephesians 5:20 that we should
always give "thanks to God the Father for everything" apply in this
situation?
First off, Paul was not encouraging us to deny the reality of the
painful situations. He also wasn't telling us to develop a warped sense
of humor and be happy that we totaled a car or had an abusive parent
or flunked a course. But he was telling us to learn how to see that God
is good, no matter how bad the situation.
In every circumstance, God wants us to choose to trust Him. He longs
for us to find reasons to thank and praise Him instead of grumbling and
getting bitter. He wants us to reach out to Him--through the pain--to
find that He can ease that hurt as we trust Him. We can be thankful
that He can use even the unpleasant events in our lives for His
ultimate glory and our good (Romans 8:28-29). And when we begin to
think that way, we'll find many reasons to thank Him--no matter what.
--KD
�1997 RBC Ministries--Grand Rapids, MI 49555
N Prayer,
Johnny <*}}}><