God Works ALL Things Together for Our Good!
Romans 8:28
“And we know that God works ALL things together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
A Divine Revelation
This is a much-quoted verse in times of difficulty or hardship that gives hope to the hearer. However, do we who quote it understand the volume of truth in this simple passage of Scripture? For us to benefit from the promise of this ALL passage, the first thing that’s required is to KNOW (trust, have confidence in) that God causes ALL things to work together for good. However, to trust or have confidence in God, we must KNOW God intimately and not just know about Him. In Phil 4:12 Paul states, “I KNOW how to get along with humble means and I also KNOW how to live in prosperity; in any and ALL circumstances, I have learned (another word for knowing) the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Paul’s personal relationship with God helped him to KNOW that God does and will work all things together for good.
A Divine Challenge
So, who does this passage say will benefit from the promise in Romans 8:28? It is for those who LOVE God and who are CALLED according to His purpose. The word for love here is the Greek word agapao which is defined as “discriminating affection which involves choice and selection” or a love of reason and free will choice. This love for God consists of trust and absolute surrender. After all, it is reasonable to trust in a trustworthy God. What does that trust and absolute surrender look like? First and foremost, this kind of trust relinquishes control to the sovereignty of God. Secondly, it understands that God has a purpose in and for everything that happens to us. Thirdly, it acknowledges that trials and tribulations are all a part of God’s infinite plan to bring us to absolute dependency upon Him and transform us into the image of His Son. And finally, it testifies to others of God’s faithfulness to be there with us in everything we go through.
Being CALLED according to His purpose is the next prerequisite to this famous promise of God. You might be saying, “I haven’t heard God’s call on my life, nor do I know what His purpose is for my life. Well, the ALL in the word “called” means that absolute surrender is also essential to understanding God’s call and purpose for our lives. How does one surrender their ALL to God? By embracing the fact that He surrendered His ALL FOR YOU and learning about God through the reading of His Word. This helps us to know Him and to seek Him in ways that reveal His will for our lives. Last but not least, we need to pray for it. Eph 1:17-19, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
Call to Action
Beloved, meditate on these verses and pray as you seek Him in your pursuit of ALL He has for you. The promise of ALL is too great a treasure to miss out on!
Father, when trials come, help us trust You Lord with our difficulties. You are God and there is no one like You! Help us hold fast to the promise that, no matter what You, Lord will work all things for our good. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!