For Your Good

Romans 8:28 “For we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

This verse is well-known in the New Testament written by Apostle Paul near the end of his third missionary journey. He wrote this letter to the Christian community in Rome, who had experienced significant challenges. Many of them had been expelled from their homes and their lives were marked by suffering and displacement. This verse offers comfort and hope to believers assuring them that God orchestrates all circumstances, even difficult ones, for their ultimate good.

Life can be tough. We face job losses, health crises, broken relationships, rebellious children, natural disasters, and more. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder if God truly has our best interests at heart. But let’s dive into the truth of His Word. In all of these, we must TRUST God amid life’s challenges. We see bad things happen in this fallen world for we live in a world marred by sin and imperfection. Satan, the ruler of this fallen world, seeks to trip up and destroy Christians. Difficulties affect both good and bad people. I Peter 5:8 also says,“Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.” 

But God is always good. God’s nature is goodness. His love endures forever across generations. “For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” (Psalm 145:8-9)

In all of these surrounding and happening in our life, we must learn and do to transform the bad things into good. While bad things happen due to our fallen world, God can use them for our benefit. If we love Him and follow His purposes, He works all things together for our good. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

We must reject Satan’s Lies! Satan peddles the same lie he sold to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He wants us to believe that God withholds good things from us. “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?’… ‘No! You will certainly not die,’ the serpent said to the woman.” (Genesis 3:1, 4) Satan, the master of deception, weaves a web of lies to ensnare our hearts and minds.

But fear not, we can unmask his falsehoods and stand firm in God’s truth.  We have to listen carefully to God’s Word. Just as we discern human lies by paying attention to what’s said, we must do the same with Satan. His native language is deception. When he whispers lies, we must scrutinize them. Does it align with reason, evidence, and what we know?

We should also be armed with God’s Word. Jesus confronted Satan’s lies with God’s truth. Reading and memorizing Scripture equips us to challenge Satan’s deceptions. When doubt creeps in, recall God’s promises and truths from the Bible right away. It’s a powerful shield. Reject negative thoughts and replace Satan’s lies with positive actions. Pray, serve, and witness. We must always take physical steps to reject temptation. For instance, resolve to stop unhealthy patterns and use tangible reminders of how God created your body to glorify Him. Fearing the Lord is shown when we acknowledge God’s sovereignty. Fear Him, not in terror, but in awe. Trust that His ways are higher, and His plans are good. When Satan whispers doubt, cling to the fear of the Lord.

We also always remember, Satan’s lies crumble in the light of God’s truth. Arm yourself with Scripture, seek God’s wisdom, and stand firm against the father of lies. God’s plans are for our good, even when circumstances seem challenging.God is not finished with us yet. He has a purpose and a plan for our good.

Our Prayer for Today:

Our Almighty Father in heaven, we praise and thank You for calling us according to Your plan and purpose. We know that it is not Your will that anyone should perish, but they all should come to faith in Christ Jesus. Lord, thank you for letting us know that all things work together for good even when we don’t understand in details. We fully trust Your sovereign power of transforming those darkest situations into something wonderful and good.Thank you Lord for Your the gift of redemption for all who believe in You, for the renewed faith and a heart aligned with Your purposes. We surrender our life into Your hands, through the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.