28 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
This promise is one of the most powerful promises in all of the Scriptures. We must remember that this promise was first given to the Christians in Rome. Every day they experienced a very oppressive government. They experienced persecution from both the Romans and the Orthodox Jews. Yet, they held on to this promise each and every day.
The same can be true for us today. We can be going through great trials, tribulations, despair, and darkness. But first, to grab on to God’s promise there are a few things that are important to remember.
In the modern Church, we often read this verse to say that all things will be easy. Unfortunately, easy is not a part of this promise. In fact, the opposite is more generally true. Over and over again God promises that suffering will be a part of our lives. For example, in Psalm 23 David says:
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
Even in grim times, God will be with us.
The second important part of this is the timing. God promises that “all things work together for good,” but He does not say when. Often when we are walking in the valley of the shadow of death, we look for a quick solution. Sometimes God does that with us. More often He says “not yet,” and He rarely tells us when. He uses the hard experience to grow our patience and our character. Usually, we cannot see this until we get to the other side of the valley and look back.
God also makes it clear that this promise is for His children. He calls us “those who love God.” We are called according to His purpose. This is where the “good” comes in. God is working all things for His purpose, always. His purposes are always good. Sometimes we get to share in this good with God the Father in this life, and it is glorious. Other times it comes later.
This is one promise that you should etch on your heart. Also etch alongside it the ideas of suffering, the valley of the shadow of death, His timing, and His purpose. Can you take some time today to look back at how God was using all things, some of them difficult, for good in your life?
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