​Taking the long, wide view.

Scripture:
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.
Romans 8:28 NIV

Application:
If we look only at the immediate consequences of the immediate actions in life, we probably see many more disappointments than victories. 
*The job we applied for goes to someone else. *We lose money in the stock market today. 
*Our long-anticipated family outing turns sour when someone acts up. 

These set backs are real, and they hurt. But if we look at life in five or ten year periods, we see that even those set backs were set ups. 

*A better job came along. 
*Keeping money in the market meant we gained more over time. 
*That once irritating family member finally realized that the world doesn't revolve around her. 
Following God's Word and His plan for our lives always results in long term benefits for us. But we can't expect to see His complete plan in every single event in every single day. It develops beautifully over time. As we age with more patience, we see this.

Prayer:
Father, give us daily glimpses of how Your plans are working to our benefit. We give You all the glory. Amen.