The Firstborn Among Many Brethren
DAY 35 WRITTEN BY: TRE WIGGINS-
Romans 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
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Have you ever tried to do something that required detailed attention without any plan whatsoever? Perhaps you’ve done something that required careful planning willy-nilly and found the result to be disastrous. Plans are good and it often helps keep us focused on the task at hand.
In Romans 8:28, believers are assured that everything that happens *to* us, is ultimately happening *for* us. God is always working out everything in accordance with His plan. If we’re called according to His purpose, we know that no matter how bad things get, He will always be faithful to us. That’s because Romans 8:29 tells us that God has planned everything from the foundation of the universe. God is not the type to allow chaos. After all, He is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33). And that’s the confidence we have before Him, that in his ordering and planning, He has not only “foreknown” (as in knowing about something prior), but He has also “predestined” (as in appointing something beforehand) believers to be conformed into Christ’s image. God’s plan has always been for His people to be set apart for one reason: to be made more like Jesus. He’s ordained this from before time began (Ephesians 1:3-5). He’s done it all because He loves us. He leaves nothing to chance. A God like that is a God to be trusted. Receive this care toward you today in Christ.
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Father, what comfort it is to know that You are sovereign. We know that you are never “hands-off”, but that you are intimately involved with every circumstance in our lives to ensure that we are made more holy. Help us press into that direction today, being made less like us and more like Jesus.
