And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28

Ever made a chocolate cake from scratch? If so you know the list of ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, vanilla and sugar. Some call for buttermilk and other ingredients but you get the idea.

None of these ingredients, with the exception of sugar, tastes very good on its own. Some could make me gag if I tried to eat them. However, once we combine them and add the sugar something wonderful happens. All those ingredients that we might gag on turned into a wonderful tasting batter that would become a cake.

Flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder are a far cry from the “ingredients” that enter our lives that are less than we would have wanted. Illness, relationships falling apart, job loss the list goes on. We aren’t promised as children of God that we would be spared these things. But we are promised that God can cause everything to work together for our good. Kind of like the sugar making all those not so good ingredients come together to make a great tasting cake. God can use all the moments that make up our life – the good, the bad, the regular, nondescript ones and create something of beauty.

When all the moments seem overwhelmingly difficult, I have found it hard to hang on to this promise. I would much rather just not have the rough times. It’s not in my power, however, to change them. What is in my power is to turn it all over to God and let Him do what only He can do…make something beautiful.

He has done that for me, He will do that for you.

Heavenly Father, sometimes believing for something good to come out of the bad things that have come my way is just too difficult for me. I know You keep Your word, I know You watch over Your word to perform it in my life and I know You are able and willing to turn these bad ingredients into something good, so please forgive me for the doubting times, the whining times, the questioning times. Increase my faith and help me to hang onto You and Your word through it all. I ask in Jesus’s name, amen.

I would love to hear from you. Please let me know if I can be praying for you as well.