Conviction!

Conviction!

Romans 8:28 KJV

[28] 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.

There is a confidence, as well as conviction that  permeate the entire verse above. It is not that the end has come, and you are certain of how it ended, but that even before the end is made manifest, you know quite well how it will end. You do not yet know what life will throw at you, but you have the clear and quiet assurance that nothing life brings can be bigger or greater than the One who has called you to Himself, given you His Spirit and nature and set you on a path to eternal life with Him. The past may have been very shoddy, dirty and filled with terrible experiences, but as we know, the past has no bearing on what God can do in the present and in the future. God is not limited by the dirt or the weight of the past, as long as I hand it over to Him. This is the foundation of the verse above, and the lessons that God would have us take with us as we go through life. 

Paul, the writer of this letter to the beloved of God in Rome, who were called to be saints, would know something about the lessons laid out above. He had an interesting past, which would have led to eternal damnation if he had continued therein, but at some point in time, God reached out and he responded to God's call on his life. He became a minister of the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles, who had been left out of the initial mission of the early apostles. At some point in his life, he would have looked back, and seen the definite hand of God at work in every facet of life. For a child of God, there are no accidents. Even that which is inconvenient or uncomfortable has a purpose in the hand of the Almighty God. In His hands, everything works out for His own purpose and plan. Reflect on the emphasis on the word ALL. 

That is unadulterated power. A God who can make all things work together for good is not a God to be toyed with or dismissed. We can call it evil; when it is given to God, there must be a change of direction, purpose and impact. However, it must be noted that there is the condition to be satisfied, for the results to also apply. The verse above says that the listed benefits are for those who love God; to them who are the called according to His will and purpose. This classification is critical: do not go around saying God is unfair, when He blesses those who have surrendered their lives to Him. If I am in control of my life, it means I am telling God to stay away until I call Him. How can I blame God for my choices if the consequences then apply? The impact is clear; the choice is mine to make. God's time of favour is here.