Giuseppe Guarino

"All things work..."

a Sermon

Preached by Rev. Carlton Mebane at New Hope Christian Church

I was so blessed last week in my church that I feel compelled to share it with others. God spoke to my heart in such a wonderful way!

I have been a Christian for almost 24 years now.  I have also been involved in the ministry, in one way or another.  But what I love is when I sit in my church and God speaks to me as if it was my first day after being saved.  The man of God He placed in my church held a Bible study on Wednesday and preached the following Sunday calling my attention on two wonderful passages of Scripture.

The first is Psalm 42.   Please read it in your Bible or Click on the passage if you want to read it from the KJV

I love the reasoning of the writer that considers the sad events of his life. This showed me how a Christian - how I - need to reason with myself, to remember my faith and exort myself: "hope in God" in spite of the circumstances.  I liked the pastor saying that we need to preach to ourselves.

We know the Word.  If we are Christians we do.  So, we cannot be driven by emotions, by anger, discouragement, by sadness, by feelings originating from the circumstances.  We need to slow down, take sometime for ourselves and see with spiritual eyes what is going on in our lives. We need to take it to a spiritual level, realizing that the things that happen in our lives are not happening by chance.  Once we realize that our battle, the Christian battle is a spiritual one.  Once we realize God is in control of our lives, as we learn from his Word.  Once we do that, peace comes in.  In spite of what is going on, God is in control: he will win the battle for us. Then we know and tell ourselves: "hope in God"

Meditating the Scriptures we remember of that wonderful promise: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth", Matthew 28:18. This is Jesus speaking. He is in control: this is what we learn from the Word.

Elsewhere the Word says that he upholds "all things by the Word of his power", Hebrews 1:3. What a mighty God we serve! Blessed be His Name!

And again we remember of the words of comfort written by the apostle Paul: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.", Romans 8:28.

"All things." is the key. I like such a phrase spoken by Paul, because no-one had been through what he had been through. Still he could write with such wonderful assurance and share it with others. Our God is in control, whatever happens in your life, wait upon the Lord, it will turn to be for your good. Take it to a spiritual level, use the spiritual eyes God has given you, and you will see beyond the appareance of things: in your suffering, God is purifing you! He is taking you to "higher heights and deeper depths." In the hour of discouragement be sure that in spite all the things going on the victory is yours and the battle is already won!

Then my attention was captured by another wonderful Scripture used by the pastor during his sermon, Genesis 50:15-21. Click on the passage if you want to read it as in the KJV.

The events that took place in the life of Joseph took him so down that no-one could ever think it possible for him to even survive them.  But our God is a God of the impossible! Not only he survived, he also became one of the greatest man of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, who, during those days, was the most powerful man on earth.

After being sold a slave by his brothers, after being falsely accused, being cast in prison, when facing his brothers he could say: "you thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is in this day, to save much people alive". Not only things worked out for Joseph's good, they also worked out for the greater good of the people of God.

How many times the things we have been through, in time, have proven to be a blessing not only to ourselves but also to other brothers and sisters! Our God works in a mighty and wonderful way.

I want to close this meditation with the words written in another Psalm:

"The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that trust in thee.", Psalm 9:9-10.

Amen.