May 8

All things work together for good

            We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, 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 within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30

All things work together for good.  All things.  All.

“All” includes sickness.  “All” includes death.  “All” includes poverty and tragedy and disability.  “All” includes the laughter and the tears, the joy and the pain, the triumph and the failure.  “All” includes the struggle…the daily struggle with ourselves and our kids and our world.

To be clear, this passage is not saying that everything that happens is good.  It says that everything that happens is a part of the puzzle that ends up portraying a picture of good.  Some of the pieces are just horrible.  Some are filled with pain and unbearable loss.  Some are burdened with the darkest and bleakest depression.  But when all the pieces are put together, they reflect the goodness and glory of God.  See…not all the pieces of this puzzle revolve around you and your life.  There are some pieces of your grandmother who offered prayers for you every night.  Some of the pieces are from your spouse who poured themself out to serve you and carry you through the tough times.  Some of the pieces are your children and the love that they have for you.

Many, many, many of these pieces reflect God and His work in your life.  They show the times that He protected you and the times that He carried you and the times that He inspired you and the times that He sent Divine Appointments to change your path.  The largest pieces are all about Jesus and the price that He paid so that you can enter Eternity as a Glorified Child of God. 

When it is all said and done, when time itself has finished and we have transitioned to  the other side of Death, we will look at the grand puzzle of our lives and see that all of it, every single piece, fit together perfectly to bring us to glory.  There was sorrow and there was joy and there was pain and there was hope.  And covering it all was God’s love and His Grace and His promise that He saw us and He knew us and He called us and He chose us to enter into His family forever and ever.

Amen.   

A moment to reflect:

Put together a puzzle with your child sometime soon.  Let it be a living parable to you that God is making all things work together for you and your child’s good.