“One-A-Week Challenge” – Week 18

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
— Romans 8:28 nasb

Last week we learned that God’s nature is goodness. This week we read that He causes all things to work together for good. Seems logical right? Why then do we notice so many things that seem to be going in the wrong direction?

Most often the problem is with perspective. We imagine that God’s purpose is for us to be on a smooth path free of turmoil. God’s perfect peace is not the absence of conflict it is rather an absolute awareness of His presence.

Scripture is replete in telling us that one of the attributes of God is His goodness. “God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31) Since the very nature of God is goodness we must remember that we are not tasked with earning this goodness rather we can experience it by grace through faith. God’s goodness is shown even to the unrighteous and unbelieving. The Psalmist wrote: “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” (Psalm 145:9) This being noted we must acknowledge another truth.

When things seem out of control we must remember one of the fundamental truths of life:

“God is in control – I am not.”

While He may assign to me certain aspects of life over which I have “charge” I am never in control. I do not want to be in control, because I am not able to handle the pressure of holding it all together. This is the central truth of Paul’s affirmation in today’s verse. He is proclaiming,

“And we know with an absolute knowledge that for those who are loving God, all things are working together resulting in good, for those who are divinely summoned ones according to His purposes” [paraphrase] because of his absolute trust in God.

The fact that God is in control is irrefutable, undeniable, and absolute. Psalm 33 is a great reminder of this fact. His control is independent of our trust or faith. He is in control. God is the divine cause of all things and because of His nature of complete goodness we know that His purposes will be worked out in our lives day by day. Although we may not completely see the goodness in all that takes place around us our faith IN God and our knowledge OF God assures us that He can be fully trusted.