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 | | From: | rhuff163 | | Subject: | How God works evil to a good end | | Date: | Tue, 18 Jan 2005 05:15:35 GMT |
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 | Devotional Guide
For the week of January 16, 2005
CHRISTIAN DUTY
How God works evil to a good end
To Read: Haggai 1,2
To Know:
"For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to
strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's
faith, both yours and mine."
(Rm. 1:11,12)
Five centuries before Christ came, the Lord exiled his people to Babylon.
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the captives. The
Babylonians set about to remake the Israelites in their own image. First,
the names of the men were changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. Next, they were reeducated in the language of Babylon and the
culture of the country. The exiles drew the line at eating forbidden food.
In order that these four young men might accomplish the divine will to make
himself known to the Babylonians, God gave them spiritual gifts.
God regularly hides the good he intends inside something evil in itself. By
his grace and for his people, God works evil to a good end. The cross hides
the hidden meaning of the universe. In itself the cross is the greatest evil
ever perpetrated on the earth. Christ was the only innocent man who ever
died. The wages of sin is death but Jesus never sinned. God hid his purpose
to save his people in the cross, but made it known to faith.
The exile was a curse. God drew the Babylonians into his land to teach his
people his hatred of their idolatry. In exile the Lord used his curse
against his idolatrous people to bless Babylon. To accomplish his purpose
Daniel and his friends were given spiritual gifts.
To Do:
We who have been given faith in Christ also have been given spiritual gifts
in order that we may do God's will. We ought to pray constantly in order to
discern what the Lord has in mind for us to do for him.
01185$-01185
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