These verses speak of God’s Providence – “together” (v.28b) He takes the details of life and uses them to move us toward the Savior.
Explanation: I cannot tell you the number of times that I have seen the hand of God’s Providence working in my life. He has brought people, things, circumstances (good and bad), events, jobs promotions, books, sermons, and many other things into my life at just the right moment to direct my next life steps.
Observation: And God has promised to providentially cause these kinds of things to work together. Our text does not say that God causes all things. No, human beings can cause some things too, some unpleasant things. But it is so comforting to know that God is working behind the scenes and causing a vast scope of experiences both good and bad to come together in our lives so that He might build within us something good, in spite of Satan and sinful choices.
Quotation: I like a piece that fits nicely here, entitled God’s Handwriting by John Oxenham:
He writes with characters too grand
For our short sight to understand;
We catch but broken strokes, and try
To fathom all the mystery
Of withered hopes, of death, of life,
The endless war, the useless strife –
But there, with larger, clearer sight,
We shall see this – his way was right.
(Swindoll, Tardy Oxcart, 240,241).
Illustration: God’s providence is at work in your life everyday. Just ask Terry Shafer. One September, she was shopping in Moline, Illinois. She knew what she wanted to get for her husband for Christmas. It cost $127.50. This would be a huge jolt to their budget and she finally was brave enough to ask, “What about putting this aside for me? Maybe I could pay a little each week then pick it up a few days before Christmas?’ “No,” the merchant said, “I won’t do that.” Then he smiled. “I’ll gift wrap it right now and you can take it today.” Terry was elated, agreed to pay so much every week, and left explaining how happy her husband would be. Then came, Saturday, October 1. Terry’s husband, Patrolman David Shafer, was working the nigh shift, responded to a robbery in progress. David arrived in time to start the pursuit. Three blocks later, the get-away-car stopped. David carefully approached the vehicle with his weapon drawn. Suddenly, the door flew open and the thief fired a .45 caliber round into David’s abdomen. When Terry found out about the news, she was so glad that the shopkeeper made her a deal, that she had went ahead and given her present to her husband early, because if it had not been for her Christmas gift of a bullet proof vest, her husband would not be alive. God’s Providence.
