All For Good

Some years ago a speedboat driver who had survived a racing accident described what had happened. He had been at almost top speed when his boat veered slightly and hit a wave wrong. This caused the boat to lose control and he was thrown from his seat as the boat went spinning. He was shot into the water so deeply that he had no idea which direction the surface was. He had to remain calm and wait for the buoyancy of his life vest to begin pulling him up. Once he discovered which way was up, he could swim for the surface.

Sometimes up can seem down and down can seem up in life. How can we know which way to go? And this is where we simply calm down, and learn to trust the Lord, trust his word.

God is always trustworthy. He doesn’t fail on any promises. He isn’t late. He isn’t early. He keeps his word every time. Think of the most trustworthy person you know. He or she too will fail sometime or other. You will fail. I will fail. But God NEVER fails and no matter what happens in life, as you entrust your life to Him, you will “pop to the surface.”

As we look at this verse in Romans, we find reasons why we can entrust our lives into God’s hands. And that isn’t just today or next week but every single day of your life. We serve a God in whom we can entrust our ENTIRE lives.

1. You love God – he saved you from death and destruction. (he will not betray he whom he died for)

The first reason why we can entrust God with our lives is the fact that we love him. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together…” Why do you love him? Did you always love him? NO! You may not remember, but every one of us was born a rebel against God – loving not God but self. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” Ephesians 2:3 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved.”

The very fact that you love God is proof alone that God has done a miraculous work in your heart. He produced faith where there was no faith and love where there was no love.

2. You are called for HIS purpose – God only has good purposes

A second reason why you can entrust every day into God’s hands is that you are called for His purpose and God only had good purposes.

Now this is crucial – our life is not to be directed for OUR purposes, for OUR plans, for OUR desires and needs and wants. Our life was bought by God for HIS purposes. And when you became a believer, you resigned your life into his hands for his purposes.

Why are you here? Why are you alive? What is the purpose of your life? You are here to fulfill the will of God who paid the price for your life. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Last year we were shopping for insulation for our attic. One salesman actually came to our home and he must have spent over an hour just trying to chit-chat with us about our personal lives. Finally after hour urging, he began to present their product. And of course at the end of the 2 hour presentation, the bottom line figure was given which was way out of our budget. What was the point of all that chit-chat and personal interest? What was the motivation? To make us feel that we could trust him and that he treated us as a special client. Then we would more eagerly buy what he had to offer. His purposes? ONE THING – make lots of money. He wasn’t interested in our lives, our welfare, our future, our budget.

God of course is not out to rip us off or do a sneaky sales pitch. He is already the owner of all the universe but his goal is that you and I live for his glory – he knows that will be the most joyous, the most fulfilling, the most blessed existence we could ever have.

Just yesterday we were selling lots of goods at our garage sale and among those were a few beautiful pictures. Now, whoever bought one of those pictures is not going to go home and step on it and bang it around and ruin it. She is going to find a place on the wall which will make her home more beautiful and then carefully hang it on that wall.