Two Angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it." "Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you live by faith in Christ, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later...

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

“All things work together for good,” has some conditions.

1. Love God. How is loving God measured? John 15:10 indicates that loving God is measured by our obedience to His Word.

2. “Called according to His purpose.” His purpose is found in the following verse, “be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” Thus we can say, “everything that happened to me in the past, everything that is and will be happening to me – the good, the bad, the ugly – is being used by God for my good as I love and obey Him. Through it all I am being conformed to the image of Jesus.

And why is being conformed to the image of Jesus so great? Being more like Jesus means more peace, joy, contentment, fulfillment, loving power, hope, patience, kindness, goodness, self control and on and on! Praise the Lord!

Adapted from a circulating e-mail.