Day 89 – Romans 8:28-31
All Things Work Together for Good
Scripture Reading – Romans 8:28-31
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
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29 KJV
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Romans 8:30 KJV
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 KJV
Scripture Review
Romans 8 does not say all things are good. Betrayal, slavery, false accusation, prison, and famine remain grievous. The promise is that all things work together for good “to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” God is the One weaving the events according to a purpose centered on conforming His people to the image of His Son.
Paul then asks, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” That does not mean believers have no enemies or painful losses. It means no enemy can finally defeat the saving purpose of God. Joseph’s story gives the promise flesh and dust. Men were against him, yet they could not remove him from the hand of the God who meant good.
Human evil means harm, and human fear often reads each painful event as an isolated proof that everything is lost.
God means to work through every circumstance for the true good of His called people and complete His Christ-centered purpose.
What this asks of me
I should not use this verse as a quick answer that dismisses another person’s pain. I can sit with sorrow and still confess that God is working. The good may not be comfort, promotion, or the outcome I would select. It will always agree with His holy purpose and never require me to rename evil as good.
Consider
- Have I used Romans 8:28 to explain pain too quickly instead of sharing it compassionately?
- Can I trust God’s definition of good when it differs from immediate comfort?