PONDER THIS

Here’s the faulty logic many people follow: “God is the author of all things. Evil, pain, and suffering is ‘something,’ so God is the author of evil, suffering, and pain.” That’s not the right argument. Here’s the argument: God made everything, and He made it perfect. When God finished, God rested. God said, “It is good.” He made man. He made man perfect, but He made man perfectly free. That is, He gave man a choice.

Why did God give man a choice? Because God wanted something from man that is unique, special, wonderful, and glorious. He wanted man’s love. He wants you to love Him. That’s the highest good—to love God and to love one another, for God is love. Now, why didn’t God just force us to love Him? Well, forced love is a contradiction in terms. There’s no such thing as forced love. Love must choose. For lovers to choose to love, they must be able to choose not to love, or else it’s forced love, and it’s not love at all. So, God has given us a choice.

• How do you express your love for God?
• Have you ever blamed a hard situation on God? Reflect on that situation and how you might view it differently.

PRACTICE THIS

Spend some time thanking God for the freedom He gives us to love Him.

The Problem of Pain | Part 1

Romans 8:18-39

In this message, Adrian Rogers shares three propositions to make sense out of suffering and comfort us in our pain.

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Be Worthy of Your Hire

When you go to work, you are to enter with the same enthusiasm as you have for your church.

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