"But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”" John 11:4
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, running is one of the top three most common exercise activities for all Americans. It's no wonder, though, since studies continue to confirm that its benefits are many. But would it surprise you to learn that this wasn't always the case? Though experts disagree about exactly what sparked the running craze, TIME magazine credits Dwight Eisenhower's 1955 heart attack, the most highly publicized coronary occlusion in history, as the "trigger of this national impulse to perspire for the sake of health." In a cover story that followed the President's heart attack, University of Minnesota physiologist Ancel Keys made the case that physical exercise was undoubtedly part of the issue-and the rest is history.
And while you can be sure Mr. Eisenhower never chose to have this bad thing happen to him, I am sure he was pleased with the many good things that came from it. But as history has proven time and again, God can bring good out of any situation. In fact, when news came to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, Jesus, knowing that good would come out of "this illness" said, "It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." And when Lazarus later died and all hope seemed to be lost, Jesus confirmed that promise by raising Lazarus from the dead causing many Jews to believe that he was truly the Messiah.
Have you ever seen a situation that looked more hopeless or less likely to turn out good? And yet, that's exactly what happened-and it turned out better than good! So the next time you're wondering what good could ever possibly come out of the affliction or hardship you might be going through right now, remember that history has proven that God can take even the most irreparable and impossible situations and turn them into something good.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the many examples the Bible gives us of how you can bring good out of bad events. Help us to trust you during our troubled times as we patiently wait for you to work. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment