All things are for good

Romans 8:28 KJV

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This is one of the few verses we all know so well and are quick to quote when we are trying to encourage others. The only problem is that it becomes difficult to swallow when we are the ones in need of encouragement and comfort in trials. We accept God's blessings but struggle with the beatings he allows. We willingly embrace the provisions but reject the processes God passes us through to get the provisions. We claim the promises but forget the conditions and timing for the promises. No wonder then, that many of us fall away from grace, struggling with accepting the hard but simple truths of the words of this passage.

On a personal note, I have had to deal with the death of a sibling. It did not matter then that I was a Christian, I just could not accept the fact that someone that young had to die so quickly. People quoted this same verse to me severally, but it was not easy to deal with. I caught myself asking why a few times, but what God has taught me over the years is that even if he has to explain the full details to me now, I may still not fully understand his reasons for everything he allows. Alll I needed to do was trust his timing, wisdom, power, strength, comfort, grace and provision. Just a few days ago, after about 5 years, I can still see my late sister's picture and sincerely say: Thank you Jesus.

ALL things work together for good. We are not the ones who determine the outcome of our experiences, and we are the ones who categorize experiences as good or bad, depending on what we seek at that point in time. For God, he's always at work, seeking to ensure that all ends well. Picture the moments faced by Daniel, Joseph and the 3 Hebrew boys just before the lions, the prison and the fiery furnace experiences. It must have been hard that God did not save them FROM it, but rather delivered them IN it. Greater glory was achieved for God, and a universal declaration was made about worshipping the God of Israel because of the experiences of Daniel and the 3 Hebrew men.

Indeed, if you love God, everything God allows in your life has a function, a lesson to teach, a glory to reveal and a God to be magnified. If you can settle the question of your allegiances, and determine whose you are and who is in control of your life, then you can begin to enjoy the fullness of the grace and favour that comes from knowing that as long as I belong to God and love him, all he allows are for my good, and ultimately for his glory. There's no greater joy than knowing that as I live everyday, there's a God watching my back, screening my experiences and carefully charting my life's course to the safe harbour of heaven. I rejoice, because his time of favour is here.