An eighteen-year-old is killed by a drunk driver.
A man in his prime is diagnosed with ALS.
A young mom succumbs to brain cancer.
After twenty-eight years of marriage, he finds someone new.
An elderly woman’s life savings is wiped out by a scam.

All these stories have names. And we all could add to the list of tragedies we see around us. The question is: How does God work all these things out for good? Does he…can he work all these things out for good?

Romans 8:28-30
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 

Paul makes this statement with certainty. He doesn’t hope all things work out or think all things might work out. He says, “And we know” that this is how God works. This promise is for those who love God and have trusted in Jesus alone as the only way to have a relationship with the Creator. So—Paul is saying that everything in a believer’s life somehow works out according to God’s plan.

Ray Pritchard is one of my favorite authors, and in his book Keep Believing, he has an entire chapter on Romans 8:28. First, he notes that this promise is all about God from beginning to end. The apostle Paul explains that God is at work from before we were born to when we enter heaven glorified and everyplace in between. Second, we must read these verses with a long-term perspective. God works on his timeframe, not ours. Third, when Paul says that God works all things out for good, we need to understand what the word “good” means. God is at work to transform us into the image of his Son.

At the end of the day, God is at work in all our lives. We cannot and will not understand all that God does. But for those who love him and are called according to his purpose, one day, it will all make sense.

Father,
Thank you for this promise. We believe that, somehow, you are working all things out for good. And when it doesn’t feel like that to us, you are there to bring comfort and peace to our souls. Thank you for your never-ending presence with us.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.