Trusting God to Work Things Together for Good

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” -Romans 8:28 (KJV).

Romans 8:28 has long been one of my “life verses,” one I memorized long ago and return to again and again to seek to live by. We often misunderstand the verse, thinking that it somehow shows that God puts immunity around believers to protect them from the perplexities, troubles and disappointments of life. That is not the promise of the verse. The promise is God’s ability to work things out for good for those of us who love and trust Him. God doesn’t promise to divert troubles but to lead the believer through them, not to have us avoid sorrow or pain, but to give grace to bear whatever comes.

What is my part in God’s plan? I accept and trust the daily grace God gives me for life’s journey. Has the Lord ever failed? No. But I, in my failure to seek and acknowledge God, fail to lay claim to His promises and live by them. My part in God’s plan for “all things to work together for good” is for my soul to get in touch with God’s greatness and mercy, to claim His promises and to believe, know and act upon the truth that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”

On July 23, 2016, I participated in a thrilling event, the 70^th “Founders’ Day” program of Truett McConnell College, now Truett McConnell University. Those gathered recalled the history of the college in the mountains established on Christian principles and for the purpose of educating young men and young women in a Christian environment. The logo of a hand holding a flame with the Latin phrase, “veritas liberat,” (truth liberates) has been the college’s motto since the beginning from that Founder’s Day program July 23, 1946. Currently, the inspiring challenge added by the current president, Dr. Emir Caner is “From the first verse to the last tribe,” calling to mind the emphasis that we as Christians are all missionaries as we share the love of God in the context of daily living and reach out to even the “last tribe” who has not yet heard of God’s plan to bring all peoples everywhere to His abundant grace, mercy and forgiveness. God does, indeed (as this sonnet I wrote affirms) work all things together for good:

In God’s Master Plan

We often question, Lord, the ways of life,

The pains we bear, our toils and strife.

When troubles come we wonder why.

We’re not immune. We sometimes cry.

But then like a shining ray of hope

Above our questions Your Spirit spoke

Assuring us that in Your great plan

The best will come to believing man.

Here we see dimly as through a dark glass;

We cannot know what will come to pass.

What we do not know we accept by grace,

For answers come when we seek Your face.

For now, we hold to Your steadfast hand

To lead us on the journey You have planned.

Prayer: Lord, I know You are working things together for good. Therein lies “the peace that passes all understanding” Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:7. Thank You, Lord. -Ethelene Dyer Jones. 07.24.2016.