Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“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)
That verse of scripture is one which God has been hitting me over the head with recently. As a result, it has become a foundational promise for all my days. God has seen to that with the heavenly two-by-four He has been lovingly using to get my attention.
As you read and re-read that verse, it will probably become more and more apparent to you—as it did to me—that it is one we should want to claim for perspective and peace in our lives; and one which will provide assurance for every step and moment in our lives.
Again, the Apostle Paul reminds us—
“…that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according to His purpose.”
And when Paul writes “all things,” inspired by the heart and hand of God, he means “all things.” He means in everything. Things such as when—
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We find out that someone in our family has cancer;
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A player on the team is lost for the season;
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Someone doesn’t understand us or rejects us;
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We experience good days, bad days and then some really bad days;
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We get a new job, or lose one we had to have to make ends meet;
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Relationships struggle or are lost;
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The world news continues to report violence and hate beyond our ability to understand;
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We win a game, or lose one;
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We feel like we’re standing on a mountaintop and can see forever, or when we feel lost in the valley, and can’t see the next step to take.
In all of those things, and more, Paul states that God works out “all things”—everything—we go through for our good. We may see the obvious good right away when it happens, or we may not see it until much later. Or perhaps we won’t appreciate it until we look back from eternity and see the big picture where God worked out whatever we went through for our good.
And notice that it is not necessarily what we would describe to be “good.” But instead what God chooses as “good.” The neat thing about that—when we stop to think about it for a moment—is that God’s “good” has to be a whole lot better, greater and more wonderful than our “good.” Isn’t He the one, after all, who parted the Red Sea and sent His Son for us?
Why not then together, from this day forward, believe, claim and dedicate our lives, and everyone and everything in our lives, to the truth of God’s promise—
“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.”
It’s one of His many promises for our lives—and if you claim it on your own—you may not have to suffer His Divine two-by-four to get your attention!
In all things—our good!
That’s our great God at work for you and for me!
In His Name—Scott
Copyright 2015. Scott L. Whitaker. All rights reserved.
