Maria #125DO 26327/90

—"ALL things work together for good to them that love the Lord!"—Rom.8:28.

—By Maria

1. Because "many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Psa.34:19), it's certainly comforting to know that "all these things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to them who are the called according to His purpose!"—Romans 8:28. In fact, in order to come through our many trials, difficulties, battles & temptations victoriously, it is imperative that we make this promise in Romans 8:28 a vital part of our life.

2. We need to get this principle so deeply ingrained within us that it becomes impossible for us to forget, neglect or overlook it! Romans 8:28 is something that should be as much a part of our conscious—& even subconscious—thoughts & way of looking at things as is our awareness & consciousness of the Great Commission (Mk.16:15), the necessity of prayer, the importance of the Word, the inevitability of tests & trials, & the certainty of God's Love.

3. If we fail to send the events of our daily lives through the filter of Romans 8:28, if we fail to constantly view our disappointments, hurts, tests‚ illnesses, persecutions, battles, etc., through the perspective that Romans 8:28 gives us, we will tragically miss many valuable lessons the Lord is trying to teach us.—And we will rob ourselves of the peace that comes from absolute trust in this precious promise & principle.

4. If you learn the simple equation, "Trials equal good," your life will be richer, your lessons greater & your mind more tranquil, & you will more easily recognise the Lord's hand in the events of your life. It makes all the difference in the World whether you look at a flood of problems, trials, battles & tribulations just waiting to see the worst happen, or if you look at them with the excitement & challenge that comes from waiting to discover all the good you know the Lord will bring out of them.

5. Recently‚ our dear Techi has been barraged by many serious troubles & trials. First of all, all of her normal everyday problems & NWOs seemed to suddenly become greatly intensified: She became extremely sensitive to others' comments & suggestions & actions, & quick to criticise anything she didn't like or felt was not just right. She also began doubting others' authority & rebelling against it—all rather quietly & passively, not loudly & explosively, but just as seriously nevertheless.

6. She began having serious physical trials & tests as well, such as daily headaches that she began having on & off throughout each day. These headaches prevented her from having vigorous exercise which, of course, kept her from staying in a vibrant state of health. On top of this, she twisted or sprained her ankle, thus further preventing her from getting any vigorous exercise.

7. Next, the Enemy began a bombardment of attacks on her that started with evil & violent thoughts. Then came an acute inability to make even the smallest decisions, a flood of confusing & nonsensical thoughts‚ & then an attack of serious doubts about the Lord & His Word. She was also beset by an extreme case of worrying over minute details.

8. Dad has said that the preteen & early Teen years are the age of decision, & we've recently seen firsthand how the battle rages more fiercely at this time than at any other time for the lives of our children. Most Teens can probably testify that their toughest years began about their 11th year & continued through their 13th year. We've seen how very important our responses & counsel to them are during this crucial period.

TRANSFORMED INTO A FIGHTER!

9. The Devil, in trying to defeat Techi, has been defeated himself, TTL! He has only been used by the Lord to accomplish great things in her life—things that could never have been achieved any other way. All things truly worked together for Techi's good‚ even though by outward appearances, it looked at first like she was being defeated.

10. One of the first things the Lord showed Dad about why all this was happening to Techi was that the Lord was trying to make her into a fighter.—To change her from being a rather passive, indecisive, sluggish & somewhat stagnant little girl, into an aggressor & militant fighter in spirit.—To stimulate & stir her up‚ to make her so desperate that she had to fight, to truly go on the offensive & attack!

11. The battles Techi has recently gone through have been so heavy that she's seen that she couldn't make it on her own, the way she had been drifting along before. If she was going to come through & gain victories she was going to have to get desperate & really fight as she'd never fought in her entire life. She realised that she would have to make a serious commitment & fight to maintain it. No longer could she drift along in her own peaceful little dream world, oblivious to the battles that were being waged in the spirit.

12. Because of the viciousness of the Enemy's attacks, Techi could see that he was playing for keeps, & that if she didn't want to get gobbled up, she was going to have to fight! She also saw that she was going to have to get desperate with the Lord & truly lean on Him, & not merely her own strength.

NEW CLOSENESS TO THE WORD!

13. The Word started to come alive to her like never before, & became a great strength & comfort to her. She had to spend more time in it because the powerful two-edged sword of His Word was the only thing that could keep her from being devoured by the monsters of doubt, fear, worry, discouragement, confusion & a host of others! Before she was afflicted she had gone astray, but now she was keeping His Word!—Psa.119:67. This increased closeness to the Word came as a direct result of her problems & battles, as did her desperation to receive the Lord's help from it.

14. Her battles soon began to yield many blessings as she was suddenly propelled from childish things into adulthood, where life is no longer merely a game‚ but serious business. The Lord was using all of these battles & trials to grow her up & win great victories, to help her "put away childish things" (1Cor.13:11), & become what He wanted her to be.

LEARNING TO SHARE PERSONAL PROBLEMS WITH OTHERS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE HELP!

15. Before these battles‚ Techi had a gripping fear of the humiliation that might come as a result of her problems being exposed. But she has now found that what she had previously imagined would be so terrible was actually a great blessing! When her problems grew to such proportions that they came to the fore before all, even though it was somewhat humiliating, as a result, she was able to receive the help, counsel & deliverance she wanted & needed.

16. A tremendous burden & weight was lifted from her when she found she was able to get the help of others & didn't have to try to struggle along with internal battles, doubts, questions, fears, etc., all on her own. Before, she was always very reluctant to share her innermost heart & extremely hesitant to discuss her personal problems. In fact, she was prone to hide them, she was so very embarrassed & self-conscious about such things. But now, because her trials had become so big, she was unable to hide them any more, & she's been forced to openly talk about them.

17. Openly discussing & counselling with others about her battles & problems is something that she had previously thought would be such a monumental trial. But it has now become an actual desire of hers, as she is learning the value of honestly talking about problems instead of keeping them to herself, mulling them over & over in her mind & trying to figure everything out on her own.—Which usually caused her to end up more confused than ever!

18. People have often said to me, "I wanted to get my problem all straightened out & worked out, & get the victory before I told you about it." And I've had to say, "That doesn't sound very smart to me; it could take you days, weeks or even months to resolve some issues on your own!—The more you worry about them & think about them, the more confused you're likely to become! Whereas if you do what the Scripture says & confess them & let someone help you bear those burdens, you may be able to get immediate help & resolve the problem immediately, perhaps in the matter of just a few minutes!—Jam.5:16; Gal.6:2. "Two are better than one, & though one can chase a thousand, two can put ten thousand to flight!"—Ecc.4:9; Deut.32:30.

19. Just the other night Techi said to me, "Mommy‚ before‚ there were some things I just never ever would have thought of telling anybody. But now I'd never dream of not telling them!"—And the more she learns to be honest & open with the ones she is close to, the easier it will be to be open & honest with everyone else as well.

20. So another definite Romans 8:28 "good" from the seeming "bad" of all these battles is that she has learned to truly appreciate the Family, & has realised what a tremendous help & support the prayers & counsel of others can be. The Family has become more real to her, & she's seen how much we need each other. She has gotten a better understanding of the importance & value of our loving Family fellowship & unity, & how much more effectively we can fight our battles when we're fighting together. She now realises how much more power we have against the Enemy when we present a united front against him.

A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!

21. Another good thing resulting from all of this is that she has learned to cling desperately to the Lord, & as a result she has found that He never fails & that He faithfully answers her prayers. She also sees how she too can get things from the Lord. Her personal communion & communication with the Lord has been greatly strengthened. She's now found that she can have her own very real personal direct connection with Jesus, & she has therefore become much deeper spiritually. She's learned to let go of the shoreline & her previous shallowness, & to launch out into new depths with the Lord, where there are wonderful "waters to swim in!"—Eze.47:5.

A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP TO OTHERS!

22. Another blessing that's come as a result of these battles & trials is that she has developed a much closer & deeper relationship with others. Her openness & honesty with adults‚ & the sympathy, understanding & help she has consequently received back from them have shown her that adults can be her good friends, & not just her "bosses" or taskmasters. She's learned that there doesn't have to be any kind of "generation gap" between her & the adults.

23. She now feels like she has much more in common with others who have gone through tough battles. She's also learned that she can now heartily testify to others of victories won & the wonder-working power of the Word & the wonderful Love of the Lord. She can relate to others on a much deeper level now.

24. A related Romans 8:28 "good" from all of this is that she is learning to comfort others with the comfort wherewith she has been comforted.—2Cor.1:4. She is learning how to help others by sharing with them some of the different lessons & principles that have helped pull her through.

A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAMA & TECHI!

25. Another blessing that's come from these battles is all of the personal time that I have been able to spend with her recently; listening to her & letting her pour out, & in turn‚ counselling & answering her questions. In the past we spent little time together, but in this time of spiritual crisis the Lord made it necessary for us to spend much more time together. As a result of this we have developed a very close & precious relationship‚ & the Lord has used our times together to give us a lot of good counsel & wonderful answers‚ PTL!

LESSONS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

26. Of course, another very big blessing & "good" to come out of all of this is that we are now able to share these same battles & victories with you, our dear Family!—Actual transcripts of Techi's reactions & reports & our many conversations together. Just as the Lord has used our times together to provide answers for Techi, He has also used these times to give me a greater understanding & awareness of what all of our children experience during these crucial years of their growing up.

27. So I have no doubt that all of our children will be able to benefit & learn from what Techi has gone through, & that you adults will be able to make many of the same discoveries with your children that I have recently made with Techi.—Experiences that I value & treasure, & am so thankful to be able to pass on to you! Whether or not you have children in your care, the many lessons the Lord has given us in this series will no doubt be a personal help & blessing to you in your own walk with the Lord. PTL!

28. So all things truly do work together for good for those of us who love the Lord!—And like Dad has always said, God gets some of His greatest victories out of seeming defeats! PTL! God bless & help you to always hang on to His precious promise in Romans 8:28, & to discover & profit from the many blessings He has for you in the battles & trials He allows you to go through! I love you!

CONFIRMATORY SCRIPTURES ON SOME OF THE "BLESSINGS THAT COME FROM BATTLES"!

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."—Rom.8:28.

"Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end."—Deut.8:16.

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes."—Psa.119:71.

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."—Heb.12:11.

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."—Jam.1:2-4.

"Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."—Jn.15:2.

"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work."—2Tim.2:21.

"He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."—Job.23:10.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities‚ in reproaches‚ in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."—2Cor.12:9,10.

"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered."—Heb.5:8.

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."—Mat.5:4.

"Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."—2Cor.1:4.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."—2Cor.4:17.

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you!"—1Pet.5:10.

(—Amen!—GBAKY!—WLY!—Jesus never fails!—Keep your eyes on Jesus!—D.)

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family