Now I Understand
Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26.
I heard the story of an elderly minister who liked to visit people in hospitals.
He often would take along a little, embroidered bookmark that he carried in his Bible.
On the back of the bookmark was a group of tangled threads with no apparent pattern.
He would hand this bookmark, with the back facing up, to those who were hurting or upset and say-
“Look at that and tell me what it says.”
As they looked at all the tangled threads, they would say-
“I have no idea what it says. It doesn’t seem to say anything.”
Then he said, “Now, turn it over.”
As they would flip that bookmark over, they saw the words “God is love.”
The minister would say, “Many times as we look at what God is doing, we just see tangled threads with no rhyme or reason. But from God’s perspective, He is dealing with us in love, and He knows what He is doing.”
The next time you think it’s all over for you-
– just remember how things turned out for Joseph in the book of Genesis.
Just remember how things turned out for Daniel-
– no doubt things looked pretty grim when he was in the den of lions.
It looked hopeless as well for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego when they were thrown into the fiery furnace.
Things looked pretty hopeless for Peter when he was in prison, awaiting execution.
And things certainly looked bleak for Martha and Mary when their brother died.
Things can look bad at one moment-
– but then God will step in and turn events around.
Then as time goes on, you will look back and say-
“Now I understand what God was/is doing.”
(PR)