Downloads

clinging to the promises of God

Let’s be honest: All things are not good. Heartbreak, loss, disabling conditions, crime, tornados, death — these are all ultimately products of the Fall and sin. The whole creation groans (Romans 8:22). But our God is a Sovereign who takes our sin and our brokenness and turns it, in his providential wisdom and timing, into his blessings for his people. But let’s also be clear: Sometimes bad things happen, and it just gets worse. For those who are outside of God’s redemptive promises, bad things can happen and despair leads to hopelessness.

But biblical hope is another reality altogether. The letter to the Hebrews calls hope an anchor for the soul. And when the storms of life threaten to break up the ship, you need an anchor that holds. The promise of redemption — body and soul. When all things are not good in this life, we know that in Christ all things will be perfect in the next.

Are you just starting a dark part of your journey? Perhaps you have been in the valley for years and you are realizing the future may not get easier. Truth is still true. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and God still works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes. It is okay to feel and express sorrow at what has been lost or broken. But at the same time, deep and abiding joy can be present because we know the end of the story.

Joni Eareckson Tada famously and wisely says, “Sometimes God uses what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” Linger over that. Let it settle in for a moment. This is a different facet, a new angle, on Romans 8:28. While all things are not good, God is so gracious that he promises to use even our broken lives for much greater purposes such as to make us like Christ and to exalt his glory.

God is creating a great tapestry of which we are a part, even our dark threads. Our problem with this divine tapestry is that the Artist knows, sees, and continues to create the design on the upper side; but we see the lower side with dangling threads and only a faint image of the beauty to come. So we hope in Christ. We cling to the promises of God that nothing is wasted. Even our brokenness and sorrow will be used for good. So we take heart.

- Michael Beates

FIND THIS DESIGN IN OUR SHOP

If you'd like to purchase prints of this design, it is available in our shop in various size and color options. It can also be chosen to customize journals and wood art.