All things God works for the Good

 

All Things God Works for the Good – Feb 2, 2012 Richard Chapman

“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) Think for a moment about who wrote these words, inspired by the Holy Spirit. These are words that cam from the apostle Paul. This is the same man who wrote, “Five times I received from the Jews the 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep. I have know hunger and thirst and have often gone without food. I have been cold and naked (2 Corinthians 11:2-27) “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Does Paul really believe it? This is one of those scriptures of the Bible that we can find irritating at times, particularly when people quote it to us in the face of some disaster. As we are struggling with cancer, or other illness and live with a chronic ailment; as we are struggling in our lives; as we live with poverty; or stand at the grave side of someone we loved, some people will remind us of that scripture, “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Others will speak about tragedies as “blessings in disguise” and yet others will say, when something happens “it is God's will”. These sorts of lines, while they may be easy to say are sometimes very difficult to believe. At times they can be irritating and often, if said at a funeral or in the face of some tragedy, they are of very little comfort.

Think of Joseph. The Bible tells us, “Israel (or Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age,” Genesis 37:3 This love led to Jacob adorning his son with the coat of many colors. It is recorded that “when his brothers saw that their father loved him (Joseph) more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” Genesis 37:4) Later on their hatred led them to want to kill their brother. But instead he was thrown into a pit and sold to the Midianites. Then Joseph was sold to the Egyptians where he spent a great deal of time in prison on false charges. While Joseph stayed true to God, it would have been of little comfort if we had told him at the time that he was being sold into slavery, “this is a blessing is disguise. This is God's will. Don't worry, Joseph, remember that all thing work for the good of those who love the Lord.”

When someone we love dies or when a tornado strikes, or when an illness we dread hits someone, we tend to wonder about God's will. We tend to wonder about the good in it. And certainly the idea of it being a blessing in disguise is really not much comfort to us.

And yet, it is often the case that when something happens people will, begin to search for the good in it. The need to find something “good” in a horrible situation is necessary' it seems to somehow make the situation more palatable.

“There must be something good that comes out of everything that happens,” we tell ourselves, “because if there is nothing good then things are indeed meaningless.” Sometimes there are some things that we point to and say, “If it would not have been for the illness, the person may have never come to know the Lord. If it were not for the death of a parent, the brothers and sisters may have never been reunited. If it were not for some natural disaster, people may never know what it means to share or give of themselves.”

Look at Joseph. The woes he experienced led him to Pharaoh's court to interpret a dream. That interpretation of the dream, given to Joseph by the Lord, led to Joseph being made second in command in Egypt., which led in turn to Jacob's family coming to Egypt in search of food during the famine. When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to look for food,little did they know that they would stand in the presence of their brother.

God had worked it so tat the result was that Joseph ended up saving his father and his brothers., When the brothers finally discovered what had happened, Joseph said to them, you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid” (Genesis 50: 19-21)

Sometimes that “good” we are searching for is hard to find. We wonder if any “good” can be found among the murder victims of our land, or if any good can come out of the carnage on many a highway as people's lives are suddenly brought to a screeching halt because of an accident.

Closer to home, we wonder what good can come out of the loss of a child, or the illness of a child. What good can come out of a lack of rain? What good can come out of an ongoing life of abuse? Hat good can come from broken relationships? The list is long and we can think of situations in which we wonder. In such situations, upon hearing our scripture, we may be inclined to clench our teeth and say, “yea, right, sure. God is working for my good in all of this misery?”

The Bible records the words not as a theory but as fact, It is simply a fact, whether we like it, understand it, or experience it or not. The reason the Bible can make such a claim is that the Lord God is recognized the ruler of all things. Romans deals with salvation and climaxes with the return of the Lord. It is a process that will culminate in the presence of the new heaven and the new earth. It is on that new earth where those who love the Lord will dwell for all eternity. This is ultimately what the scripture is talking about. God is working out his plan of salvation in the world and nothing can stop him, and everything that happens finds its place in that plan. It is like the example of the embroidery. On the underside there are strings going every which way, but on the top a beautiful picture is emerging. God sees the top, we see the bottom. Everything that happens flows through the hands of the Almighty and is woven into the tapestry of history.

Consider Joseph and his trials. The saving of Joseph ensured the continuation of the people of Israel, the ancestors of the Messiah. We can be sure that Joseph did not understand when his brothers sold him into slavery. It was only in retrospect that Joseph was able to explain what happened. We don't always have an answer as to why bad things happen. It is foolish to pretend to know when we don't. Sometimes we think we can tell what good reason God might have for allowing evil, but often we can only guess. God allows people freedom to do both evil and good otherwise they wouldn't be humans, only robots. Maybe God allows diseases and tornadoes to make us depend on Him or to make us more courageous. Maybe God sometimes sends punishments on a whole nation. Or maybe there are times when a person's suffering—and the way he handles it-- draws other closer to God. It is hard to say in a particular case. Often we do not know why God permits a certain evil But we do know this just as a doctor must sometimes hurt us in order to help us, so God is always working with us for good, even when we can't see it.

Our Lord Jesus Himself, as he died shouted “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Two days later, He was alive again and speaking peace to his disciples. God does act against evil and for good. It is part of his providence.

“In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” The reason the Bible can make this statement is because it takes a very wide view of life and history. Our view is always very limited, and therefore we struggle.

All sorts of painful things may happen to us. Our hearts may be broke a thousand times in this worlds and our bodies wracked with Pain. But these things are part of the Refiner's fire. That which we experience here on earth is part of that struggle of life in a sin-filled world. What good is there in the struggle? We may not see it in the now, but James tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance and spiritual maturity. Ultimately, the One who has all of history in His hands works it for our good.

The story is told when St, Augustine was advanced in years, he saw the storm clouds rising of the imminent invasion of the Roman Empire by the barbarians. He feared the marauding horde would destroy the work he had labored to establish. He went to God in prayer and uttered a petition in three parts. He first asked that his people would be spared the devastation that could result from the barbarian invasion. Second, He asked that if that was not the will of God that he be given the grace to accept it. Finally, he prayed that in either case God would take him home soon.

The text talks about all of this in the context of “those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) God's people are being discussed here. Those who do not know the Lord and who remain unrepentant will ultimately not have everything work for the good. But those who love the Lord can live with the utter security and assurance that they belong to their faithful Savior, in life and in death, and nothing is able to separate them from the love of Jesus.

While we may not, in the midst of misery, like to hear such statements as found in our scripture. Yet it is true that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. Surely this is where our comfort lies.

Where does your comfort lay? Do you know for sure that all thing work for good for those who love the Lord? If your comfort lies in money, doctors, home, children, etc. and you are missing the assurance that all is working for our good now is a good opportunity to come before His throne in prayer, praise, and worship.