Romans 8: 28 –
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Oswald Jeffrey Smith was a great man of God, who made a profound impact on Christendom in the last century. He was a pastor, author, and missions advocate. He founded The People’s Church in Toronto in 1928. Over the course of eighty years he preached more than 12,000 sermons in 80 countries, wrote thirty-five books (with translations into 128 languages), as well as 1,200 poems, of which 100 have been set to music, including “Deeper and Deeper”
However this great man of God would have been unheard of had he adhered to human selection. In 1920, as a young man, Oswald Smith, stood before the examining board for selecting missionaries. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, “Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me.” Standing before the board he felt his prayers would be answered. But when the examination was over, the board had turned Oswald Smith down. He did not meet their qualifications. He failed the test. They felt he was not healthy enough. Imagine how disappointment this young man was. His life dream had just been shattered before his eyes.
He could have been offended at members of the board, but rather he chose to seek God’s face.
As Oswald Smith prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. That is what he did. Oswald Smith pastored The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. God transformed his detour into a main thoroughfare of service.
Talk about turning a disappointment into a blessing. Though Oswald was faced with disappointment, he decided not to sit and bemoan his fate. He sought God for a way out, and by following divine counsel, was able to fulfill his destiny.
Anyone who is getting ahead in life is always going to have to overcome setbacks. As long as you are getting up and trying to do something with your life you will have to confront disappointing situations. . But the difference between the winners and losers is the way they view such setbacks.
While losers see setback as the end of the road, winners only see it as a bend in the road.
Jesus said in the Bible that ‘offences must come.’ That is to say we are bound to face offending situations in life. Situations where you are treated unjustly or unfairly, but the question is what do you do in such situations. Someone said life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you take it or react to it.
You don’t let people’s actions determine the outcome of your life. You don’t let how someone treated you become the full stop in your life story. No matter what they did to you, you can put it behind you, still forge ahead and become all that God said you are to be in life.
Sometimes things happen that may you think your world has turned upside down. But if you look deep enough you will see a seed of blessing that can help you turn that situation around. Don’t just look at things on the face value. Always find out what is the will of God for you. The bible says that with every temptation God makes a way of escape. Hidden in that seeming disappointment is a seed of equivalent benefit. Find it. When you apply it, you will find that what the enemy meant for evil in your life, God will turn around for your greater good in Jesus Name.
PRAYER: Lord, by the power from your Word let what may have looked like disappointment in my life, be reversed into a blessing , let the good seed You have embedded for me within this situation come into manifestation in Jesus Name.
quote
Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon The Word that you believe.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]