All Things For Good?

Most of us are familiar with the verse in Romans 8:28, And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. We know it, but do you find it hard to truly believe it at times? Oh, we know God doesn’t lie so it has to be true, but it’s hard to grasp it when our worlds are spinning in chaos. We find ourselves in difficult situations and can see no way out. We suffer poor health or watch the sufferings of someone we love and we can see no good in it. We hurt and we cry. We grasp at straws of hope, urging our own selves forward, trying our utmost to truly believe in joy and peace that “all things” will work to good.

There is something we can all do in situations of hurt in the present and in fear of the unknown — we can remember the cross. Try to imagine it all. There is Jesus, sinless, full of love, being sentenced to a cruel death on a cross where the condemned man ultimately dies in prolonged pain leading to suffocation. In your imagination, as you see Jesus, Son of God, dying an unfair and cruel death, you could easily ask — is there really good in that? Can such a situation really turn out for good? As we gaze at this event in the recesses of our mind’s eye, we know the answer — a resounding yes! Because of Jesus taking our place on the cross, we have promise of forgiveness of all our sins, and a new eternal destination when we leave earth — Heaven in all its splendor. The cross is the very best reminder that all things work together for good to those who love God.

When we wonder about our difficult state of affairs, about the outcome of financial need, poor health, difficulties at work, relationship turmoil, then please do this: 1) Tell Jesus all about it 2) Look to the cross and know — if God could work that out for all our good, won’t He really work out our current situations for good also?

Satan thought he had won when Jesus was dying. Jesus knew He was winning for the whole world as He breathed His last on the cross, because He then defeated death making it possible for all who receive His gift of salvation to live in joy and inner peace, no matter outward difficulty, chaos, and pain. The cross is a horribly wonderful event that changes lives, working it all out for good, for eternity.

Feeling lost, without hope today? Remember the cross and press on — blessings of God’s own strength are promised and God cannot lie.