December 22

It’s easy to get derailed by the “stuff” of life, isn’t it? We often are surprised at the troubles that come at us, or we let ourselves get preoccupied by the challenges that we face. We forget that nothing we face surprises God. It’s all part of the plan. Now, I am NOT saying that God causes bad things to happen to you. What I AM saying is that it doesn’t surprise Him and therefore He uses it for our good.

Using everything we experience for our good is all part of the plan and has been since the beginning. Actually, since before we were created. Just as we mentioned yesterday that He planned Christmas before He even created the world, so He also planned out how to use our experiences, problems, trials, challenges, failures, etc. for our good.

Don’t you think that if He knew that we would need a rescue plan and He planned one before He even made us, that He also has all the other details of our plan worked out? Sometimes, we forget that don’t we?

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who i have been called according to his purpose.”

Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

This Christmas, let’s try to keep the perfect, sovereign love of our Holy God in mind when we face the challenges that surround us. Let’s try to remember that nothing surprises Him, and that if He planned Christmas before He ever created us, the solution to offer us eternal life instead of eternal death, then the solutions to our less eternal problems are not difficult for Him at all.

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Let’s try to cast our cares on Him this Christmas, because He cares for us! Jesus reminds us of this in John 16.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

From now on let Christmas be a huge reminder that He knew you would need His help before it all began, it’s all part of the plan!