And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:27-28
It was report card time, and the fourth-grader brought home a report card that was not the best that his parents had ever seen. In fact, it called for a genuine heart-to-heart talk with the lad who could, because of his abilities, have done a lot better. It was mom who started out the questioning. Holding the report card in her hand, for emphasis, she said, "Well, sir, what do you have to say about this?" The boy replied, "One thing is for sure, you know I ain't cheating!"
Now, the point of this story is not to condone bad grades. Everybody needs to do the best they can at every job. What I want to say is we ought to be like that young man who managed to see something positive in a bad situation. We don't do that very often, do we? But that's what a Christian should do. When our Lord died on the cross, He looked at the good it would do to save the souls of humankind. Seeing the best in the bad should be a goal for each of us. So, see the good in all of your bad report cards.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear God, I know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. No matter what trouble I am facing, I can say with certainty that You will not leave my side. With Your wisdom in my heart, I can see the best in the bad. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Micah 6-7 Acts 22
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