God does not delight in our sufferings. He brings only that which is necessary, but He does not shrink from that which will help us grow.

To derive the fullest comfort and encouragement from Romans 8:28 we must realize that God is at work in a proactive, not reactive, fashion. That is, God does not just respond to an adversity in our lives to make the best of a bad situation. He knows before He initiates or permits the adversity exactly how He will use it for our good.

Justified" is even better than "just as if I'd never sinned." It is also "just as if I'd always obeyed.

Our very worst days are never beyond the reach of God's grace.

The realization that my daily relationship with God is based on the infinite merit of Christ instead of on my own performance is a very freeing and joyous experience. But it is not meant to be a one-time experience; the truth needs to be reaffirmed daily.

We're more concerned about our own "victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve God's heart.

The cure for impatience with the fulfillment of God's timetable is to believe His promises, obey His will, and leave the results to Him. So often when God's timetable stretches into years we become discouraged and...want to give up or try to work something out on our own.