A Good Ending

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

- St. Paul, Romans 8:28

"What happens in Vegas… ends up on YouTube."

- Anonymous

As I finished reading the Book of Acts this week, I was struck by the fact that the Apostle Paul was thrown into prison for teaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ more than anyone else in the Bible. Whether it was the dungeon in Philippi or the jailhouse in Jerusalem or the prison in Rome, Paul spent a big part of his life as a follower of Jesus staring at the graffiti on prison walls. Imagine what thoughts raced through his mind… "Lord! What's going on? You called me to preach the Good News of a Risen Savior… to spread the Word… to plant churches… to encourage believers… to teach your Truth… And here I am, stuck here in prison with nothing to do except… WRITE LETTERS." And that's how we got most of the Bible!

What, at the time, must have seemed like a colossal waste of time, energy and purpose turned out to be the single greatest record of God's divine life-saving plan for man and woman.

I remember, before I got married, making my first cake as a single guy. I got this recipe from my mom, and went to the store to buy all the stuff I needed. As I pulled these ingredients from the shelves, I found myself thinking, "Man, how do these ingredients make a good tasting cake?" I mean… white flour, vegetable oil, raw eggs… If I eat any of this on its own it's disgusting… nobody's putting flour in this mouth. But here's what happens -- when you put all of this together and put some heat on it, something good comes out! Flour cannot do that by itself. Raw eggs can't… neither can sugar. But when you take the bitter and the sweet and add heat to it… something comes out that tastes miraculously good!

Listen… what the Apostle Paul discovered, and what he's teaching you and I, is that there is a King on the throne of Heaven who is orchestrating events for your life.

And what you think is bitter and hard and a huge waste of time, God is putting together to get you to where He wants you to be, so He can do what He's promised to do with your life. That is -- make it good! (John 10:10). God is saying, "Hey, don't judge me by your one situation! You have no idea what I'm cooking up for you!"

So, today, it may seem like everything's against you… it may seem like a bitter Friday, or a bitter April, or a bitter Spring. And you're like, "God, it doesn't seem good… it doesn't feel good… it doesn't look good!" But Romans 8:28 declares that if it's not Good… then it's not Over! God is still working! Let Him finish His good work in you! God is for you, and He is mixing something up in your life, and the end result will be Good!

In that faith, take a lesson from a jailbird named Paul, and let a song of praise rise up from whatever your jail cell looks like today…

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below,

Praise Him above the Heavenly Hosts,

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

Amen.

Pastor Harry

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