Daily Devo
God Knows
By: John Carrigan
Thursday, July 25, 2024
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled... 2 Thessalonians 1:6
The church in Thessalonica experienced persecution from the outside, but they had problems on the inside too. Paul wrote them a second letter for three main reasons:
- Encourage those who were suffering.
- Enlighten the confused.
- Warn the ones causing problems.
We aren't facing the same persecution they did, but just like them, in our trials, our hope must come from our faith. God says He will see us through our difficulties, so we must trust His promises. In trials, remember that others are probably watching you... Christ follower, how we handle our trials can encourage others! When wronged, we might be tempted to fight back, but scripture says to leave that to the Lord.
A long time ago, I had a significant disagreement with someone who was appointed over me as a ministry leader. Responding in the flesh, I listened to Satan's whispers about how I’d been wronged. When I brought my version of the story to someone in Church leadership, they didn’t take a side. They simply said, “God knows”. It was a powerful moment and a life-changing lesson for me. In fact, God may be less concerned with "righting a wrong" and more concerned with our response to being wronged!
God knows the outcome of every circumstance, so He may allow us to experience unpleasant situations to facilitate our spiritual growth. God wants us to focus on spiritual, eternal things instead of keeping earthly records of who wronged us. He can do all things for all people, but He may not always do everything like we think He should... When things don't go our way, it doesn’t mean God’s not involved or doesn't care, it just means He's working out His plans and purposes for our good and His glory!
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. Proverbs 24:17 (NLT)
The world says we should "fight back" when we're opposed or attacked, and turning the other cheek isn’t in our world's vocabulary. Being kind when attacked isn't something that comes naturally, but Jesus says we should love our enemies and pray for anyone who persecutes us. We live in trying times, but they're no problem for God. We may want people to be held accountable, but we’re not responsible for keeping an account of everyone's wrongs. Remember, God will require those who have wronged you to answer for their behavior, if not in this life, certainly in the next!
God knows! Let's be sure we bring Him glory in how we live and in everything we say.