Using The Good And The Bad
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. (Hosea 1:2-3)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
The last few days we’ve talked about how God colors outside of the lines in our lives, often asking us to do things that seem unconventional or unorthodox from our human perspective. But I believe God does this in order to show us that He can use both the good and bad in our lives for His glory.
The woman that Hosea is told to marry has a bad reputation in society. She stands for that which is unseemly. She stands for that which is unbecoming, and yet God takes a good, righteous man like Hosea and joins him with a woman with troubles.
The point of the passage is to show God’s capacity to take the good and the bad and make the best out of it. He constructs the plan for our lives using the bits and pieces, the scraps and the fragments that we offer Him, the good and the bad, and makes something great out of it. God’s will is not only found in the positive, it can also can be found in the negative and the unexpected as well.
Has something happened in your life recently that you’ve viewed as a negative circumstance? If so, what would it look like for you to reframe your situation and try to see what good God can do, or maybe already has done, with your less-than-ideal circumstances? He is more than capable of redeeming the bad parts of your life and using them for your ultimate good. So why not trust Him and ask Him to do just that?
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
The last few days we’ve talked about how God colors outside of the lines in our lives, often asking us to do things that seem unconventional or unorthodox from our human perspective. But I believe God does this in order to show us that He can use both the good and bad in our lives for His glory.
The woman that Hosea is told to marry has a bad reputation in society. She stands for that which is unseemly. She stands for that which is unbecoming, and yet God takes a good, righteous man like Hosea and joins him with a woman with troubles.
The point of the passage is to show God’s capacity to take the good and the bad and make the best out of it. He constructs the plan for our lives using the bits and pieces, the scraps and the fragments that we offer Him, the good and the bad, and makes something great out of it. God’s will is not only found in the positive, it can also can be found in the negative and the unexpected as well.
Has something happened in your life recently that you’ve viewed as a negative circumstance? If so, what would it look like for you to reframe your situation and try to see what good God can do, or maybe already has done, with your less-than-ideal circumstances? He is more than capable of redeeming the bad parts of your life and using them for your ultimate good. So why not trust Him and ask Him to do just that?
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2025
January
Plenty of RoomThankful for Your SeatWho God Invites to the TableThat’s the PointWe Do Not Have a Monopoly on GodStop Talking So LoudLet God Handle the Guest ListA Long-Awaited ReunionSeeing Jesus for YourselfIn Possession of a Personal PromiseGet in the Right PositionReady to ReceiveAligning Your Life for God's PromiseWaiting with ExpectancyGrounded in PrayerStrength in PrayerPatience Through PrayerStay Focused Through PrayerGod's Conditional PromisesGod’s PriorityGrounded in FaithTrusting God's TimingThe Assurance of God's PromisesIs It Well With Your Soul?Health vs. HealingStewarding Your BodyA Holistic View of SpiritualityGod Cares About Your BodyWhat You Put in MattersNourishing Your SoulThe Power of Prevention
February
The Power of a ComebackHealing from the PastStop Blaming and Start TrustingBury the Past to Claim the FutureFacing Trauma with TruthCelebrate That You SurvivedRepair What is BrokenNothing God Can’t FixDon’t Swing at Bad PitchesStick to God’s PlanDon’t Let Desperation Drive YouShift Your WeightWho Knows Best?A Good Idea Isn’t Always a God IdeaPeace in God’s PlanFinding Purpose in God’s PlanProsperity in God’s PlanTrusting God’s Plan, Pace, and ProcessKnowing When to PivotGod Hasn’t Given Up on YouNext-Level Faith Requires PerseveranceA New Revelation of GodIt’s Not All About YouNext-Level ConnectionsNext-Level CommitmentA Prayer That Moves GodPrayers That Carry a BurdenPray With Boldness
March
A Solid FoundationPositioned for BlessingMarked by LoveTrust God's JudgmentRest in God's DeliveranceLet Go of ControlWhat You Want MostWhy Church Still MattersFaith in the Midst of DisappointmentJoy for the JourneyA Place of SafetyStrength in CommunityPeace in the ChaosThe Purpose of the ValleySeasons ChangeUnshaken in the StormHold OnThe Power of ResilienceNever AloneGod Is Closer Than You ThinkLet Go of WorryLet Go of WorryBelieve Before You SeeResilient FaithHow to Be a Success God's WayTrue Success Starts with the SoulSuccess Through SurrenderCharacter That Speaks for ItselfThe Power of Being RealKeep GrowingSuccess in the Face of Opposition
No Comments