Tag Archives: goodness of God

Understanding “All things work together”

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

 

Don’t you love to claim God’s promises? I do, everyday. But sometimes we apply them with wrong interpretation.

 

Some would have this verse mean that everything that happens is for your good. Lose your wallet? It’s for your good. Lose your child? It’s for your good. Become crippled? That’s for your good too. Well, not necessarily. I don’t see evidence that our loving God orchestrated all the sufferings of life so that He could say, “Buck up, it’s good for you.” Indeed there are many sufferings that are plain cruel.

 

But… IN all things, God works for good. All the way from the book of Genesis to “the book of maps”, the overarching theme is that God’s plan will not be thwarted in the long run. Suffering abuse at the hands of another is not the way of God. But God can rescue the abused and bring them to a good and healing place. Falling into temptation is not good for you. But moral failure doesn’t have to win. God can bring you from this to good. He is the great redeemer.

 

No matter what unfair or painful situation you face, God is still on your side. He doesn’t abandon you. When all you can do is stand, HE is the one who fights for you. In and through all these miserable circumstances that cry out for justice, God is ready to work good things according to those who love Him, not because these things are good for you, but because God is good.

 

Our God can call down a storm upon our lives to chastise us, warn us, and turn us around…for His good. He can and He does allow the circle of free will to spin out of our control, if that’s what it takes to bring us to His goodness.

 

Jesus coming to earth in human form was God’s greatest rescue mission. He saved not only His chosen people, the Jews, but adopted the gentiles into His family as well. Nobody is beyond the reach of God. Nothing can thwart His plan. He will ultimately and perfectly bring goodness to those who truly love Him.

 

The good news of Romans 8:28 is not that losing one job will be rewarded with a better one. It’s not that your suffering will result in hundreds coming to Jesus. It’s not the promise that poverty will turn to riches. The good news is that God IS God. His plan persists. It will not be thwarted by any circumstance that comes our way. The good news is that nothing can separate us from His love. And…your faithfulness in tough times matters! It is the mark of “those who have been called according to His purpose.”

 

Look for His goodness wherever you go today. Share it with others.

 

 

Have your cake and eat it too

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All the talk in yesterday’s post about bread and cake got me thinking about that old saying, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” But of course, if you have a cake you can then eat it, though you won’t have your cake anymore… Except on your tummy and thighs. 🙂 I think ye olde saying is better read, “You can’t eat your cake and have it too.” Once eaten, it is gone. Wordsmiths out there may say you can HALVE your cake and eat it too, leaving half the cake in your possession. But that is another story.

 

But is it possible to eat your cake and have it too? And what might the bible have to say about such a delicious idea? We already know that the Word is our daily bread, but how about cake?  We have to be careful when referencing scripture to defend our stance. Like the story of this bride-to-be:

 

The young bride to be was increasingly terrified about her upcoming marriage. To calm her nerves, she decided to have a Bible verse which had always brought her comfort (1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; for perfect love casts out fear”) engraved on her wedding cake. So she called the caterer and all arrangements were made.

 

About a week before the wedding, she received a call from the catering company. “Is this really the verse you want on your cake?” they asked. Yes, she confirmed, it was the one she wanted, and after a few more questions they said they would decorate the cake as requested.

 

The wedding day came, and everything was beautiful … until the reception, when the bride walked in to find the cake emblazoned with John 4:18: “For you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.”

 

See what I mean? Context is everything! Except for the many references to unleavened cake, I’m not aware of bible references to the equivalent to the Thayer Chocolate Birthday Cake. Still, Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are your words to my taste.” Psalm 34:8 encourages us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” So perhaps it is safe to surmise that God’s Word, while not always palatable to our worldly taste buds is never the less desired by our spirit.

 

If this Word were considered to be cake, shouldn’t we want to eat it more? And could we eat it and still have it? If it were always replenishable, yes. In fact, it is. It is never diminished. So if we regard the Word as cake as well as bread, we can eat our cake AND still have it too! In any case, eat well and enjoy the goodness of God in your life!

 

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)