Read Romans 8:18 When I was in middle school, we took a school trip to Cincinnati. I had never really been to a city before outside of the Tri-State. I was fascinated by the large buildings and all the people and vehicles buzzing through the streets. I had never seen anything like it before except for in the movies. It wowed me because it was something I had never experienced. For many of us, we are stuck basing our attitudes only on the things we’ve experiences. We haven’t seen God’s bigger plan for our lives, so the little things we struggle with from day to day can seem huge to us. The Apostle Paul had experienced his fair share of sufferings. He had been beaten, imprisoned, and much more being persecuted for his faith in Jesus. The man who had at one time sought Christians to punish them for their faith was now being punished for that same faith. However, as he faced these hardships, he came to the conclusion that his present sufferings, no matter how severe, were nothing in comparison to the glory he would experience one day with God. To Paul, whatever he had to go through on this earth was worth it when considering all God had for Him in the future. It’s easy for us to get caught up in what’s going on right now and how we feel right now. But, in order to really have an optimistic attitude, we have to realize that it’s what God has in store for us in the future that really matters. We get short sighted with our focus in life. It’s so hard for us to see the bigger picture that God has for us when we can’t see the forest for all the trees in front of us. Relationship trouble, health issues, financial strains, and the everyday onslaught of responsibilities and disappointments never cease. We get so worked up over all of these things that seem so big in the moment, but, in reality, compared to God’s bigger picture for us, they are pretty insignificant. Reflect What are some things that seem huge to you in your day to day but are probably pretty small compared to God’s bigger picture for you? How might God want you to respond to those things? Pray Talk to God today about bringing how you live your life and the attitudes you have more into focus based on His full plan for you. // TWO-A-DAYS // GO A LITTLE FARTHER WITH YOUR DAILY DEVOTIONS // Go through these questions with your spouse, kids, or friend, or you can even journal about the answers to these questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the toughest part of your day?
- Where did you mess up today?
- Where did you see God today?
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