| And we know that in all things God works for the | | | | right (as far as possible) all the evil in the world. |
| good of those who love him, who have been called | | | | God works, or more closely, is at work in our lives. |
| according to his purpose. | | | | He is active in this. He is making the bad into good, |
| ~Romans 8:28 (NIV). | | | | continually. We see this in faith - not by sight (2 |
| Every dimension exists. All sorts of possibilities are | | | | Corinthians 5:7). |
| possible. We can see life through different viewpoints | | | | And this is the point. Our viewpoints are our choice. |
| - none of these are necessarily more right or wrong | | | | Our wills, surrendered to God's will, will end up having |
| than the next. The world belongs to the open mind. | | | | for us the effect of seeing his viewpoint just as |
| These statements above, whilst appearing perhaps | | | | readily as we see our own natural viewpoints. But our |
| postmodernly utopian, have a truth about them so | | | | choice simply aligns less naturally with his. This |
| far as God's concerned. | | | | becomes easier with practise. His sight for ours; it's a |
| [T]he promise to us is that there is nothing in this | | | | "trained" response. |
| world that is not intended by God to assist us on our | | | | God wants us to see through his eyes. And yet, |
| earthly pilgrimage and to bring us safely and certainly | | | | there are still too many would-be theologians, |
| to the glorious destination of that pilgrimage.[1] | | | | philosophers and visionaries who abuse their |
| Many people - no matter their persuasion of faith or | | | | intellectualism and see only a fraction of what's truly |
| paganism - have different slants on the truth. Some | | | | on offer - they hence hem themselves in, into a |
| prefer the negative and pessimistic view, others the | | | | realm of sight that's severely limited. They see not |
| positive and optimistic view. I believe God's character | | | | God's heart on many things simply because they find |
| is the latter, and I believe he is calling us to this - his | | | | their own sight - their human wisdom (1 Corinthians |
| purpose. | | | | 1-3) - as more attractive. |
| And his purpose is surely making good of all the bad | | | | We must open up to the wide expanse of God's |
| on this earth. | | | | sight - getting away from our staid and |
| God's power is about the notional 'silver lining' to the | | | | legalistically-human viewpoints. His sight "checks" ours. |
| cloud. And the practical means of this power is his | | | | We're forced to reflect, reconsider and change i.e. |
| indwelling positivity whenever we face trials and | | | | repent. |
| tumults; we, at these times, are tempted to deplore | | | | God truly works for our best in all of this. |
| the circumstance and see it for how we physically | | | | How is it that God made the very best out of the |
| see it - it looks bad, so we believe it to be bad. But | | | | worst possible outcome - Jesus hung on the cross? |
| that's not God's sight of it. | | | | And yet, out of the abyss of death comes the most |
| And neither should it be our own. For our sight can | | | | cataclysmic victory over evil; this is so far beyond |
| play tricks on us. Whenever we 'consider it pure joy | | | | the human mind (Isaiah 55:8-9). |
| in our struggles' (James 1:2-4) and reverse the devil's | | | | This is our God Almighty at work. This is your God |
| play on him we gain God's strength, his insight, his | | | | and mine. This God laughs at "impossibility" (Psalm 2). |
| patience, his joy, and not to mention his humility - all | | | | He makes his way through the miraculous. |
| over us. | | | | And he can always turn a negative into a positive. It |
| God stands not in our way. So, then, why would we | | | | is his craft - to the eternal chagrin of the enemy. |
| choose to give the devil more credit than he | | | | When we believe, we - with God's help, install this |
| deserves; which is almost none! We claim that a song | | | | characteristic of God's nature over (through and |
| is written about drugs when it is equally talking about | | | | inside) us. This is what sets us apart from the rest of |
| all forms of ecstasy, not just the negative | | | | the world. All things are possible. |
| devil-facilitated forms. Why do we remain so focused | | | | This is Light! |
| on such "facts?" God is equally at work in making | | | | |