Week: April 28 – May 4, 2024

Read: Romans 8:31

Key Verses: 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is
for us, who can be against us?

Much of what I have gleaned about life and people, I learned from Winnie-the-Pooh and
his friends. One friend is “Eeyore,” the pessimistic, gloomy, depressed gray donkey.
From Eeyore, I picked up how to look at outcomes with a dismal lens. What a lesson to
learn at a young age and what a contradiction to God’s Word.

Eeyore was such a popular character, that there is a stuffed animal (named in his honor)
on the market. “Ask Me More Eeyore” is designed for use by children with upper
extremity, vision, and severe physical disabilities. When children squeeze Eeyore’s paw,
he answers yes or no questions and occasionally responds to children’s questions with
comments like, “It doesn’t look good,” “Don’t count on me,” and “You can’t win them
all.” Perhaps Eeyore’s message encourages kids, who ultimately become adults, to look
for all the things that can go wrong in life.

Do you have a gloomy outlook in life? If so, and you spend your time examining all the
things that have gone wrong, you will surely miss the blessings God has prepared for
you. Life is too short to dwell on doom and gloom. As believers, we should place our
hope in Jesus, no matter what our circumstance/s. God is “for” us in that He is on our
side, working on our behalf and for our good.

The follow-up question, “who can be against us?” is rhetorical. It is another way of
saying, there is no one who could be more powerful than God or no one can destroy us.
The idea is not that we will never face opposition; it’s simply that our opposition is
doomed to failure. There is no failure in God and since God is on our side, we have
nothing to worry about. So, take your eyes off the problem and place them on the prize.

Prayer: “Father God, help me to count my blessings. When I am weak and overcome
with fear and doubt, help me to feel Your presence. Remind me of Your words to fear
not, for You will fight every battle. I thank You for victory in life. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen”