After my shameless self-promotion from last week, I thought a little deeper look into scripture might be appropriate for this week’s post. Not that anyone is keeping score, I hope!
One of the most well-known scripture verses is found in Romans 8:28. Even if you aren’t a regular Bible reader, I’d guess it would still make your top 3-5. Maybe somewhere after John 3:16 and the verse in John 11:35 that says, “Jesus wept.”
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
I will not be able to do justice to the richness of this promise in this single post, but I do want to hit some highlights and then give you links that can help you see deeper truths here.
First of all, I’d like to remind you that quoting this verse to someone after they’ve been dealt a devastation blow may not be the wisest timing. Yes, it’s always true, but please be discerning about your grieving friend’s state of mind. Hopefully a time will come when the riches of this promise will be a comfort to them.
Let me first address what this verse is NOT saying.
- It isn’t saying everything that happens to you is good. Let’s call a spade a spade. Death and disease and heartache and suffering are not good things. They are all the consequences we suffer because sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. So, no, everything is NOT good.
- Is this promise true for every single person on
this earth? Unfortunately, no. There are a couple of qualifiers here that define
which people can confidently claim this promise.
- #1 – “Those who love God…” Love him deeply and consistently for who He is, not for what He can do for you, or only when your life is running smoothly. John Piper does a great job of addressing this in his two-part series I’ve linked to at the end of this post.
- #2 – “…called according to His purpose.” Have you accepted Jesus’ free gift of salvation? Without that, you can’t be called to God’s purpose. There’s no Holy Spirit guiding you and teaching you. This is Priority Number One. Talk to a pastor, talk to me, talk to a friend you know is a Christian.
- This is NOT simply the power of positive thinking in action. We do not have that kind of power! Our good thoughts can’t turn something from bad to good. It’s only God doing His work in these situations that can bring good from them.
So, just what IS this good that works together for us? I’d like to propose that we will never know the full extent of how God uses this for good because He is all-powerful and all-knowing and infinite. But we do get glimpses of this promise playing out in our lives, especially if we are looking for them.
For me personally, I’ve seen countless ways that God has used the pain of losing my beloved husband to bring good into my life and hopefully into the lives of others. Here’s MY list:
- I have felt God’s presence in my life like never before.
- God’s call to this ministry is as clear as anything I’ve experienced.
- I KNOW He is working through me to teach others about blessing their grieving friends.
- I’ve met amazing people in the past 2 years who add so much richness to my life.
- God has deepened my relationships with others ONLY as a result of Dale’s death.
- I have a compassion for others that only comes from walking this journey of grief.
- I see “nuggets from heaven” that God drops into my world on a regular basis, and they ALWAYS remind me how much God loves me.
- My focus is on eternity, not on what this world can give me now. I long to see Jesus – and I long to see Dale.
This is just a small sample, but there is no doubt in my soul that the blessings I’ve experienced since Dale’s death would not have been bestowed upon me to the extent that they were WITHOUT going through this trial. Yes, I love God. I feel absolutely called to His purpose. So, I know THIS is the good brought from my heartache.
My favorite Old Testament Bible story is about Joseph. He had LOTS of bad things happen to him in his life like being sold into slavery by his brothers, being falsely accused of an affair with Potiphar’s wife, being thrown into jail, and being FORGOTTEN in jail after promises made to him.
Life must have looked incredibly bleak to Joseph. But God…had other plans. Fast forward and Joseph has now accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, been placed as second in command only to Pharaoh, and is in charge of the distribution of grain to Egypt and surrounding nations who are suffering through famine.
Joseph’s family, assuming he is likely dead, make their way to Egypt and ultimately to Joseph. Rather than seeking revenge on them, Joseph is moved to tears. I love what Joseph says at the end of this epic story in Genesis 50:20.
Joseph says to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
It really is the Old Testament version of Romans 8:28!
Here are the links to John Piper’s powerful 2-part message on this beloved text.
I hope and pray that you will claim this promise from God for your life and experience His incredible power to work good in your life.