The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Thistlebend Quiet eMoment

by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 1:57-66 ESV

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth,

and she bore a son.

58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown

great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child.

And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,

60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.”

61 And they said to her,

“None of your relatives is called by this name.”

62 And they made signs to his father,

inquiring what he wanted him to be called.

63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote,

“His name is John.” And they all wondered.

64 And immediately his mouth was opened

and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

65 And fear came on all their neighbors.

And all these things were talked about

through all the hill country of Judea,

66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts,

saying, “What then will this child be?”

For the hand of the Lord was with him.

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Trust God in the good, the bad, and the ugly.

When we are in our Bible study…

When we are sitting in church praising God at the top of our lungs…

When we read a Scripture that really speaks to our heart…

God is so near.

God is so close.

His presence so real.

Life and His Word all make so much sense…but then…

We have to get up from our Bible study group

and walk out the door…

We have to put on our coat

and leave the church service and go to our car…

We have to get up from our quiet time with the Lord

and face the world…

Out there everything can seem so “out of control.”

God doesn’t always seem to be “right there.”

Things sometimes seem to be going “all wrong.”

And we ask the question..

What is God doing now?

Where is God’s spotlight now?

But know this…

Know this one thing for sure…

If you are a believer in Christ…

If you are His child…

He is God and He is your God!

And

HE IS IN THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY!

He is at work in it all.

And His ways and His timing are perfect.

Look at what Paul says about this in Romans.

Romans 8:28-39

28 And we know that for those who love God

all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined

to be conformed to the image of his Son,

in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 And those whom he predestined he also called,

and those whom he called he also justified,

and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?

It is God who justifies.

34 Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that,

who was raised–

who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed

all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than

conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life,

nor angels nor rulers,

nor things present nor things to come,

nor powers,

39 nor height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God

in Christ Jesus our Lord.

TAKING GOD’S WORD TO HEART

God does everything with a purpose and with a plan.

He uses our joys, our suffering, our pains,

our hurts, our loneliness, our rejoicing…

for good in our lives and for His glory!

He is at work with the same amount of precision

and planning and purpose as He was

in the birth of John the Baptist and the day of his circumcision.

His timing is just as perfect in your life.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

MEDITATE or MEMORIZE

Write out the following passage from Luke 1 and recite it 3 times.

Take it with you throughout the day.

63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote,

“His name is John.” And they all wondered.

64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue

loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

65 And fear came on all their neighbors.

And all these things were talked

about through all the hill country of Judea,

66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying,

“What then will this child be?”

For the hand of the Lord was with him.

PRAYER

Lord God,

I praise you for being so intentional and so in control.

You are God and there is no other.

Your timing is perfect and your love is sure.

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In His hands for His glory,

Laurie