God Works It Out
Monday, January 23
God Works It Out
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
We are used to hearing people say, “I did what I thought was best.” Even if a person’s actions didn’t produce the desired outcome, we empathize with him or her because we’ve been there ourselves. Faced with a decision, we gather our facts, seek advice, weigh the pros and cons, and then finally decide. Because we are imperfect, born in sin, far from the mark it’s hard for us to imagine someone choosing and acting perfectly. It’s hard to imagine someone with a sovereign will whose decisions are always right and for the good.
It is a good thing that I don’t have to worry about working out, instead I know that my Heavenly Father will work it all out for me. Paul says that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). God doesn’t gather facts, weigh options, seek advice, compare outcomes, and then decide. Rather, God’s will and word have been “forever … settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89), carried out, as it were, before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
Romans 8:28 is a reminder that God is taking all of creation, even the broken stuff, and renewing and redeeming it.
And so, we should not take Romans 8:28 and use it to try to console ourselves, or others, that any trials or tragedies will ultimately result in success, that God will turn things around, or that even failures and losses are somehow “good.”
Rather, we should focus on the more important truth that God is good. He is bigger than all our tragedies, all our losses and our failures. Evil doesn’t win. Evil never wins. In fact, in Christ’s death and resurrection, God enters into our brokenness, and redeems us.
Prayer for today: Father I know that Your promise still stands and look forward to seeing Your hand work together to make things beautiful in Your time. Amen.