Work It Out
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8: 28
It should be noted this provision is only applicable “…to those called according to His purpose.”
All this “we know”—know it for a certainty, from the word of God, from our own experience, and from the experience of other believers.
The late F.B. Meyer said, “If any promise of God should fail, the heavens would cloth themselves in sackcloth, the sun, the moon and the stars would reel from their courses; the universe would rock, and a hollow wind would moan through a ruined creation the awful fact that God can lie.” Don’t worry, that is not going to happen for “…it is impossible for God to lie….” Hebrews 6: 18
It is not unreasonable that this provision is only for believers. If you went to a physician you did not like or trust you likely would not take his prescription or submit to his treatment. If you don’t love God, and trust His wisdom you will rebel against him.
In summary the verse does not teach that all things are good, they simply are not. What is means in essence is that in all things, all things, God is very busy to bring the good out of them. Trust Him to see that it is true.
Daily you consume two deadly poisons sodium and chloride. Taken separately they are deadly. Together Sodium Chloride, NaCl, is salt.
Imagine these untaste items in a mixing bowl: raw eggs, flour, shortening, a tablespoon of salt, and a cup of sugar. With the exception of sugar any one or a combination of any would not taste good. Combined they are the ingredients of a tasty cake.
God often has more distaste items in His mixing bowl in order to produce something good in our lives.
It is easier to see this in the big events in life than in the small. Little ones add up as is illustrated in this scenario. Start with a penny a day and double it every day for thirty days. In just 30 days the total would be 536,870,912 pennies totaling $5,368,709.12.
In the text “work together” is in the present tense, meaning they keep on working together. They never stop. They never stutter or stop working together. With this in mind consider life a motion picture, not a snapshot. Each frame relates to all others. Together they make a beautiful film.
Job, whose suffering is legendary, is an example. Was his sickness good? A resounding, no. His response counters this no. “He knows the way that I take.” “When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Consider things going on in your life. What is the architect of eternity designing for your life? Whatever it is, it is something good. “We know” because “…it is impossible for God to lie….”