What has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel. Philippians 1:12
Sir Winston Churchill failed twice to achieve an elected office during the early 1920s and had little political influence through the 1930s. But he continued to develop his talents, and in 1940 he became prime minister of England. Today he is regarded as a hero.
The apostle Paul had planned to go to Rome to preach the Gospel, but he was taken there as a prisoner instead. It looked as if he had failed. But in his cell he penned some of his outstanding epistles. He made many contacts. That is why he could write to the Philippians that everything had turned out for the advancement of the Gospel.
When our carefully laid plans fizzle, let's not give up. If we discover that we have blundered, we can correct our mistakes. If we have failed because of circumstances beyond our control, let's ask God to teach us what He wants us to learn, and let's trust more fully in His grace in Christ, who has accomplished our salvation and who would use us to pass on that good news to others.
"Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of clouds of doubt, So stick to the fight when hardest hit; It's when things seem worst that you must not quit" (Anonymous).
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, keep us faithful at all times. Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 25-26 Matthew 18:1-20
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