God Works All Things for Good

Transcript

0:37

Welcome back to Beyond Sunday and day 26 of our series anchored in God's Promises. I'm so glad you're here. Each day, this month, we've been leaning into one of God's promises to remind ourselves that his word steadies us when life gets hard. Today's promise is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, Romans 8 28, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been AC called according to his purpose. Let's be honest, it's a beautiful verse. But sometimes it's hard to believe, maybe even one of the hardest promises to believe when you've lost the job, when the diagnosis comes back worse than expected. When relationships break down, it doesn't feel like anything good is happening. But Paul doesn't say, we feel all things work together for good. He says, we know this is a settled confidence, not in circumstances, but in the God who rules over them. Paul doesn't say some things. Or the easy things. What does he say? He says all things, the good days and the bad days, the answered prayers and the unanswered ones, the victories and the disappointments. God doesn't waste a single detail of your life. If it's in your story, he can redeem it. That doesn't mean everything that happens to us is good. Evil is still evil. Pain is still pain, but God is so powerful that he can weave even the broken pieces into a bigger plan for our ultimate good. But here's the catch. God's definition of good isn't always the same as ours. So what does good really mean? We usually define good as comfortable, easy, or pleasant, but God defines good as anything that makes us more like Jesus and draws us closer to him. That means sometimes the hardest seasons, the ones we'd never choose, become the very places where God shapes our character, grows our faith, and prepares us for what's ahead. I once heard someone describe life as being like a giant quilt. From the backside, all you can see are the loose threads, entangled knots, it looks like a mess, but when you flip it over, you see a beautiful design. That's what God is doing. From where we stand, life can look like a tangle of random events, but from his perspective, he is weaving a masterpiece. One day when we see the full picture, we will realize he really was working it all for good. Now, think about your own life. Have you ever walked through a painful season? That didn't make sense at the time, but looking back, you can see how God used it to grow you or position you for something better. Maybe you didn't get that job you wanted, but God opened a door later that fit you perfectly. Maybe a heartbreak led you into a deeper dependence on him. Maybe a season of waiting built the patience you needed for the next chapter. Romans 8 28 isn't just a verse for your past. It's a promise for your present. Whatever you're walking through right now, God isn't finished with your story. So here's your challenge. Take one situation in your life that feels confusing or painful right now and pray this, Lord, I don't see the good yet, but I trust that you're working. Help me to wait with faith, even if you can't trace his hand, you can trust his heart. Let's pray together. Father, thank you for this promise. Thank you for not wasting anything in our lives, even when we can't see it. You're weaving everything together for good. Strengthen our faith to believe this truth in the hard moments, and help us to resist in the confidence that you are always working for our good and for our glory. And your name we pray. Amen. That's it for day 26. Thank you for joining me today. If this episode encourage you, share it with someone or shoot'em that verse and let them be reminded of who God is in their life. We'll see you back here tomorrow.