ROMANS 8:28-30 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
THEME OF THE DAY: ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. Today’s scripture is one of those that “rolls off the tongue” with ease when giving advice to a fellow believer going through a difficult time struggling to see both God’s Hand and good in it. I say “rolls off the tongue” when our lives are relatively calm, circumstances manageable, and no intense trial is challenging our faith. Different story when we are the struggling believer receiving today’s scripture as advice! By the way, that last spiritual condition I described, the relatively calm one, is rare and if it does come, won’t last long. Remember the Christian life is the tried life from start to finish as the Apostle Paul would tell the young believers in Asia Minor – through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). But the truth of today’s scripture is simply that – truth that is to be applied in all seasons of life and will prove to be of great comfort in the difficult seasons of life, if we apply these three things.
First, we must believe that “all things work together for good for those who love God” not because all things feel or look good. Did Jesus walk through life always feeling good? Did the time in the Garden of Gethsemane feel good? What about the cross? Did it look good? Not at all but He knew all things worked for good because God is good and His purposes in His suffering was for good. And we must adopt the mindset of the Savior. The character of God, always good, trumps our feelings and flawed understanding.
Next, the working of all things for good must include allowing God to define good, not us. We get in all kinds of trouble if we use our dictionary to define God’s character and working in our lives. This is a prime example. No unbeliever thinks suffering is good. A non-Christian will never say in the painful circumstances of life, “All things work together for good” for two reasons; their definition of good does not contain pain and suffering, and they don’t know the God who works all things for good. But there are Christians who are slow to believe all things work for good because they define good on their terms, not God’s, and the evidence is complaining when things are not good according to them. We need to be very cautious and let God define good. Believe Him more than ourselves.
Finally, refuse to think we are in control of anything or anyone. Remember, God is working things out for good and according to His purposes not ours. He is in control, not us. The sooner we believe AND rest in God’s complete sovereignty and His working it out in the daily unfolding of His providence in our lives, the sooner we will gladly submit to the truth all things work together for good to those who love God.
Yes, today’s scripture is easy to quote and hard to live but we can get there by these three applications; don’t rely on feelings of good, let God define good, and trust His sovereignty. Practicing those attitudes will help us quote AND live today’s scripture.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I fret and worry over situations and circumstances that appear anything but good.”
QUOTE: “All things do work together for good to those who love God and to believe that, make sure we let God define good.”
In the affection of Christ Jesus,
Pastor Jim