Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Looked Like Failure
After Jesus’ crucifixion and death, the
disciples thought that all of their hopes and dreams had come crashing
down. They had lost all hope because the Lord of Glory was put to death.
What appeared to them as a gigantic failure was actually the most
incredible victory ever. Jesus conquered the grave because the grave
couldn’t hold Him. Since Jesus had defeated Satan at the cross, we can
have victory over death itself (Romans 7:24). The very last enemy that
stood between us and eternity and the Eternal God was destroyed through
Jesus’ work at Calvary; it was the death of death (1 Corinthians 15:26).
What looked like failure to men and women was the greatest victory
ever.
God’s Plan for Us
Jeremiah is quoted so much that it might
seem to be taken out of context since he wrote that God had plans for
the captives of Israel to prosper and not to fail (Jeremiah 29:11). It
didn’t look like it at the time. Israel had just been taken captive, and
they were now living as exiles in Babylon. All hope appeared to be
gone, so Jeremiah sent an actual letter to the captives of Israel and
told them that God had a plan for them–it wasn’t a plan for failure but a
plan for them to succeed. God used their captivity, which certainly
must have appeared as a huge failure, to bring about their repentance.
That perceived failure was part of God’s plan for their life to restore
them to a right relationship with Him, and it worked!
Failure as Part of the Plan
I remember being in a state of
unemployment many years ago. A federal regional office that I worked for
was relocating to the next state, and it wasn’t possible for our family
to relocate. I thought of this as a huge failure. What was I going to
do now? It ended up being a blessing in disguise. I worked for the
federal government as a regional manager for Head Start, and I was a
true road warrior. Sometimes I was gone for a week or more at a time,
and it was very hard on all of us. I missed my wife and children so
much. My heart broke every time I had to leave, and every night when I
called home, I cried. God saw this and came up with another plan for me:
The office would be closed and moved to another state. What at first
looked like a big failure ended up being the best thing that could have
ever happened to us. What if a recent failure of yours is part of God’s
plan for your life? We know for sure that all things will work out for
our very best, no matter what they look like at the time (Romans 8:28).
A Closing Prayer
Oh Creator God, sometimes I can’t see
the future plans You have for me because I’m blinded by the failure
before me. Help me to trust You no matter what things look like, and in
the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, I pray.
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