How Real Is God To You? Part Two

By Johnny Angel

Are we thankful when we get into bad situations? I have found that bad situations are certainly ways that God can prove He is real. For example, I have been all stressed out this past week figuring out which schools I would be assigned to as a part of my major in elementary education. I have to do five hours of field placement for a class each week and five hours of field placement for a scholarship each week. During our 5th Quarter worship at the BSU Thursday night, one of the summer missionaries got up and shared how that his summer mission experience was horrible the first few weeks because he wasn't allowing God to help him. He was also not seeking God. But when he turned to God, things fell into place. I turned my stresses about school over to God. Then I found my placement for the scholarship. It will be a second grade classroom. The teacher is a Christian. I may also get to do my other hours in her classroom. I had no idea it would be second grade. I also had no idea I would be assigned a second grade Sunday School class. As I have turned my problems over to God and allowed Him to help me, things have come together. He has proven that He is real!

I felt that the devotion in today's Campus Journal would fit well into this series and be appropriate for today.

Thankful--By Accident ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Sarah was home from college for a few days. She had places to go and friends to meet, so she borrowed Mom's Bronco. But along the way she ran into trouble.

She thought she could make it through the yellow light before it turned red. A driver coming from the other direction thought it was time to turn left. Crunch! The Bronco hit the other car, rolled twice, and flopped to rest on its side--totaled.

She was grateful that her only injury was a bloody nose.

But to add major insult to minor injury, the police officer issued Sarah a ticket for being at fault. That meant having points added to her driving record, which meant that higher insurance rates were sure to follow. On top of all this, she had to face her parents.

And the Bible says this is a time to be thankful? How does the apostle Paul's command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances," or his statement in Ephesians 5:20 that we should always give "thanks to God the Father for everything" apply in this situation?

First off, Paul was not encouraging us to deny the reality of the painful situations. He also wasn't telling us to develop a warped sense of humor and be happy that we totaled a car or had an abusive parent or flunked a course. But he was telling us to learn how to see that God is good, no matter how bad the situation.

In every circumstance, God wants us to choose to trust Him. He longs for us to find reasons to thank and praise Him instead of grumbling and getting bitter. He wants us to reach out to Him--through the pain--to find that He can ease that hurt as we trust Him. We can be thankful that He can use even the unpleasant events in our lives for His ultimate glory and our good (Romans 8:28-29). And when we begin to think that way, we'll find many reasons to thank Him--no matter what. --KD

�1997 RBC Ministries--Grand Rapids, MI 49555


N Prayer, Johnny <*}}}><