Romans 8:28 (ESV) – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
The bible tells us in Romans 8:28 “that for those who love God all things work together for good”. I can admit I have experienced times that it didn’t seem like things were working together for good. In fact, there have been moments it felt like it was all falling apart. How about you? Situations didn’t turn out the way I desired or expected and sometimes it felt the outcome was even a little unfair. However, when I really take a moment to understand what this scripture is saying, I realize that it doesn’t say that everything I experience is going to be good. It doesn’t say that all of my days will be perfect. It doesn’t even say that everything works out in my favor. It says all things work together for good. Only the good things? Only the enjoyable things? No… ALL THINGS. This tells me that the painful things, the hurtful things, the disappointing things, along with the favorable things, work together for my good, for my benefit.
I was trying to think of an analogy, because if you’ve been reading along with me for any length of time, you know I like analogies to help illustrate a point and make the message relatable. So, I started thinking about what goes into baking a batch of cookies. You have eggs, flour, butter, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, salt and other things such as chocolate chips and nuts. Before mixing any of these ingredients together, would you consider one of them as good all by itself? Probably the only ingredients that could stand solo would be the chocolate chips and nuts. Some of these items are too distasteful to be consumed alone. Sugar isn’t bad tasting; however, you wouldn’t want to swallow a spoonful. But when we take all of these ingredients and begin to mix them together, they start to create something sweet and delectable, something we can consider enjoying. And get this ……. it isn’t until heat is applied that all of these items mixed together begin to produce the thing it was ultimately meant to be. Consider even further that it took more of the lesser desirable ingredients to make this mashup into yummy, good cookies.
Wow. When situations aren’t desirable and when the heat gets turned up, remember ALL THINGS work together for good for those who love God! He desires the best for us and sometimes it takes a “bad-tasting” ingredient to make it all come together and form us into the very creation He intended us to be.
Scriptures
Romans 8:28 (ESV) – “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 8:18 (ESV) – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
2 John 1:8 (ESV) – “Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.”
I Peter 5:10 (ESV) – “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Prayer:
Father, I thank You for being a faithful and loving God that works all things together for my good. Even when it seems things aren’t going in my favor, You always have my best interest in mind. Help me to accept all of the “ingredients” it takes to make me into what I was ultimately created to be.
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