Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

DAILY READING – John 1:1-18; 1 Chronicles 5-6; Zephaniah 2

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the thirty-second president of the United States and the only person to be elected to four US presidencies. However, his journey to the presidency seemed to have started off badly. With a dream to be the president of the United States, he entered public service through politics. He won election to the New York Senate in 1910 and was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1913. In 1920 he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920. Even though he lost the election, Roosevelt was considered by many to be an effective campaigner and a potential future president.

As he prepared to fully pursue the path to the presidency, tragedy struck. In the summer of 1921, at the age of 39, Roosevelt suddenly became ill and was diagnosed with poliomyelitis. He virtually lost the use of his legs. However, Roosevelt was a Christian who believed that with God anything was possible. So undeterred, he decided to move ahead with his political career. With the corroboration of his family, close associates and members of the press, his inability to walk was hidden from the public. Despite the paralysis, in 1928 he became governor of New York. And finally in 1932, he became the 32nd President of the United States. He was so loved by the people that in 1936, 1940 and 1944 he was re-elected and thus became the president with the longest time in office in the United States.

Roosevelt never allowed paralysis to stop him, though initially a very tragic situation, Roosevelt pushed past it to become one of the most effective presidents the United States ever had.

Though Easter is ultimately a triumphant story, it certainly did not start out that way. It started with what appeared to be the worst possible defeat—the death of Christ on the cross. For Jesus, going to the cross was not easy, but on the third day when He resurrected triumphantly, He turned what seemed a bad situation around for good.

The truth is that God sometimes, uses difficulties and disappointments to accomplish some of His greatest works in us. In the darkness when we cannot see Him, He is still in control. Paul endured a great deal of hardship and persecution for his faith, yet Paul had a resurrection mentality. He knew that despite the present difficulties, God was at work. In Romans 8:28, he said, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

The resurrection story is an assurance that God is at work to turn around bad situations in your life. No matter how initially discouraging things may look, His plan is still working. Just as it worked the day Christ was raised from the grave, it is still working for us today. Though sometimes, we may have to agonize at night in our Gethsemane, let us never forget that God is at work to bring about our resurrection morning. Though weeping may sometimes endure for the night, surely joy comes in the morning!

PRAYER

Lord, I thank You for the victory Christ has won for me at Calvary. By His resurrection power, I see every contrary situation turning around for my good in Jesus’ name.

QUOTE

It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.

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