7 Memory Verses to Change a Victim to a Victor, Part 3—Rom. 8:28
May 14, 2007
Dear Friend,
Our third memory verse to change a victim into a victor is taken from Romans 8:28. It reads:
Principle #3 – 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. (Rom. 8:28)
Everything that happens to us – whether we perceive it as good or bad – is working for good. The Scripture says ALL things work for good, not “most” things or “some” things. Frankly, this verse would be of little comfort if it said “we know that some things work together for good.” We would be left to guess which was good and which was bad. As it is, we don’t have to guess if we can move forward in faith that ALL things are working for good.
It is hard to see sometimes how all things can be good things. We are quick to put value judgments on things.
There is a story that long ago there was an old man who left his corral gate open and his only horse ran away into the mountains. The neighbors all gathered around him and said “this is bad.” The man told his neighbors, “You don’t know whether this is good or bad.” The next night the man’s horse came home and entered the corral with ten new wild horses following him. The neighbors all came around and said to the man, “this is good.” The old man said in response “you don’t know whether this is good or bad.” The next day, the old man’s son was trying to break one of the wild horses and fell from it breaking his leg. The neighbors all came by and said “this is bad.” The old man predictably replied “you don’t know whether this is good or bad.” The next day, the army came through and conscripted all of the able-bodied young men for a campaign from which they would never return. The old man’s son could not go, however, because of his broken leg.
We place value judgments on events. Our diabolos (deceitful heart) convinces us that the way we see it is the only way to see it. It discounts God’s promise of working all things for good.
My friend and brother-in-Christ, Brett Hewitson, lost his best friend, wife and mother of his six young children, Michelle, to cancer on March 20 of this year. Brett told me that he was “excited” to see how God was going to make this work for good. Brett’s faith, not only in the resurrection of the dead for his beloved wife but his belief in God’s promise that ALL things work for good, is a great comfort to him in his time of trial. Imagine believing that “some” things work for good. Imagine believing in a personal devil that could be using this for bad. Imagine believing that we evolved and are simply creatures of chance in which nothing really works for good because “good” is a man-made, fabricated term having no bearing in the evolutionary process.
When we see ALL things working for good, we react better. We react with understanding. We react with faith. We do not allow our diabolos to run away with us and lead us to make arbitrary assignments concerning God’s will.
We do not worship a God who is smaller than our problems. We do not worship a God who is uncaring or disinterested. We worship a God of whom it says:
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:31,32)
Have a great week,
Kyle Tucker
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