Success From Failure

Devotional Thought:

I am reading a great little book right now of Bible characters and I wanted to share this devotional thought with you.

Caiaphas was appointed high priest of Israel in AD 18 by the Roman procurator, Valarius Gratas. Caiaphas became the official head of the Jewish state and presided over the Sanhedrin, Israel's highest court. Next to the Roman governor, he was the land's most powerful man in Jesus' day.

But after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Caiaphas and other Jewish officials called a meeting where Caiaphas demanded Jesus' death. At that point, Caiaphas seemed to be "the man to beat" but in the end Caiaphas was removed in AD 36 and we never hear from him again. However, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, filled his people and is ruling victoriously over heaven and earth. His impact is being felt in our lives today even 2 thousand years later.

Success or failure is not always evident from the scorecard. Don't ever look at your situation face value but instead look at what God can do through it. Sometimes our reaction to apparent defeat shows who the real winner is. When you don't come out on top, live like you did. You'll make a difference eventually.

(portions taken from People in the Bible - Wooddrow Kroll)