We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
At the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787, Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.” Franklin was 81 years old at the time.
Nebuchadnezzar II was a powerful ruler and the longest-serving king of ancient Babylon. He was a great military leader and his empire was vast. Among his many building projects was the Ishtar Gate, majestic, covered in glazed blue bricks with animals and other entities in gold-embossed low relief. He has been credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens, one of the ancient world’s Seven Wonders. But Nebuchadnezzar had to acknowledge that God was sovereign above him. In Daniel 4:17, he said, “The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.”
As the world witnesses the turmoil of the end of the war in Afghanistan and the takeover by the Taliban there, some may be tempted to wonder whether or not God has abandoned control over the affairs of humanity. Today’s verse reassures you that, as you follow His calling, God will work everything out for your good according to His plans and purposes. He wants you to rest in Him with confidence today.
God’s overarching purpose is that the world might know Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent for their redemption (John 17:3). His sovereignty and control are fueled by His love. Pray for the nation’s governing officials to acknowledge their need for Him, and bow, as Nebuchadnezzar ultimately did, to His authority.
Today’s Verse: Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Isaiah 46:5-13
“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be alike?
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse,
and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
then they fall down and worship!
7 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
or save him from his trouble.
8 “Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
11 calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.
12 “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:
13 I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
and my salvation will not delay;
I will put salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.”
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
