Not Punishment – Purpose

Life is full of trials, and we often have no idea why. We turn to God and ask "Why?" – defaulting to the idea that He must be punishing us for wrongdoing, as if He were a transactional divine accountant balancing the books of our sins. But that's not how He works. He is a God of grace: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…not counting people's sins against them." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We still ask the question, just as the disciples did: "As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'" (John 9:1-2). They give Jesus a multiple-choice question – Option A or Option B – but His answer defies both: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." (John 9:3). A lifetime of suffering for a single moment of God's glory. Our trials are part of God's divine tapestry of love and redemption – He works not only in us but through our circumstances to impact others: "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28). Not "good for you" – but "good for those." It's a communal good. Whatever you're facing, consider that God may be seeking to display His works in you. (Craig B). Open Bible – bit.ly/2Co5v18-19, bit.ly/Joh9v1-2, bit.ly/Joh9vs3, bit.ly/Rom8vs28