All Things Work Together For Good

Alba 2-13-2022

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD

Romans 8:28

In Robert J. Morgan’s book, The Promise, he tells the story of John Peterson. When John was a teenager he had a remarkable singing voice and was in high demand as a performer.

His greatest ambition was to become a famous vocalist. “Only in singing did I feel competent and confident,” he wrote. “Here was at least one place where I could excel. I knew it, and I made the most of it.”

John became known as “the singing farm boy.” Local radio programs were featuring him and his future as a singer was bright.

Then, one summer he found a job in a factory, working at a machine that made canvas wheat binders. It was a noisy factory, and John’s machine was especially loud.

He couldn’t hear anything else; he could barely hear himself think. So he spent the whole day singing at the top of his lungs as he worked—all day, every day. Too late, he realized that he was abusing and ruining his vocal cords.

There was nothing the doctors or speech therapists could do. “I put such a strain on my faltering voice through overuse and inexperience,” he wrote, “that I damaged it beyond repair. When I realized fully what had happened, that my voice would never again be beautiful, I suffered such an emotional shock that it took months before I recovered. Singing, I had the power to thrill people, and suddenly it was all gone.” He was heartbroken.

However, John’s inability to sing forced him to pursue other talents that he had been neglecting. Peterson later wrote, “With my voice damaged, I turned more and more to writing and that talent was allowed to emerge and develop.

“What at first seemed like a tragedy was used for good, and the course of my life began to take shape in a quite unexpected way.”

For those of you who may recognize the name, you know that John Peterson went on to give us such wonderful hymns as “Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul,” “Surely Goodness and Mercy,” “Springs of Living Water,” and “Jesus is Coming Again.”

I tell you that story to tell you what it says in Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 is one of the most famous verses in the Bible. In a recent search analysis, it came up second to John 3:16 as the most searched for verse in the Bible. It has also been misunderstood.

When we read Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 that says, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” what we hear is “we’re gonna get what we want.”

But that way of thinking is not a message of God’s righteousness at all, that is a message of self-righteousness.

Too many people, even Christians, feel that God should be available to ensure that they never face opposition or that they are never subjected things that hurt their feelings.

God, the Father, is transformed into a sort of celestial grandfather who does what He can to make life comfortable for the self-centred soul.

If some well-meaning individual has cited this verse to you at a time of trial, you may have questioned whether this could be true. In fact, you may have silently questioned the Lord, “All things? Really? All things?”

We would benefit from exploring this concept, correcting some of the misinformation that circulates among the saints by seeking understanding of what is actually said.

There is nothing in the make up of our universe to make us optimistic that everything will eventually work out to the satisfaction of all people.

Often we hear a shortened form of the promise that goes like this, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.” Here this verse explains that God does NOT give this promise of “all things working together” to everybody in the world.

This promise is for believers in Jesus Christ. In effect, Paul says that if you don’t LOVE God, you can’t claim this promise. If you don’t LOVE God, everything isn’t someday going to work out for “Good”.

If you do not love God, eternal optimism is not in view. If you don’t love God, pessimism is in view for you because “all things” in your life are NOT going to work for “GOOD”.

I remember in the gospel of John how Jesus said that if you love me, keep my commandments.

If we're going to love the Lord it cannot be primarily by our emotions or by some feeling. Love is not a feeling, it is a choice that is evident in actions.