I have loved this verse for ages:
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)
I believe I was brainwashed to love it initially: EVERYONE could say it and could use it for any situation, I guess. I heard it so many times I just loved it. But I started loving it MORE when I could say it in direct relation to something I was going through or had been through. Now praise be to God on high that I have fallen in love with it all over again... Do you know why?? I will most definitely tell you, *giggling*, that's why I'm here today... ;-)
At first, and for a long time too, when the verse had become real to me all I often saw was
And we know that ALL THINGS work together for the good of them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose....
Later I noticed the other phrases/clauses:
WE KNOW
Boosted confidence levels to full tank turbo power!!! Adversities, perceived or real, approaching last position in pleasant speed... *wide smug*
THE GOOD
Nothing's gonna go bad, even if it looks bad, feels bad, or even smells bad *hm! phew!* It's all in God's marvelous perfect sweet succulent and juicy plan (okay, I must confess I'm a bit hungry now) and it works for my good, my personal good, my family's good, my friends good, the "greater" good and simultaneously to the incredible glory of God too!!!
WHO LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE
That wasn't too pleasant then, especially because loving God didn't mean the mushiness that I felt glowing warmly inside me when I spoke of Him or thought of Him. Come to think of it, I'm glad it didn't since it wasn't a consistent, let alone constant feature in my life anyway. Loving God involved Jesus' explicit definition:
If you love me, you will obey what I command
John 14:15 NIV1984
Unpleasant but true, but now I am happy it says so because our God helps us obey Him according to His purpose as in Philippians 2:13:
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:13 NIV1984
:) Splendid!!!
But honestly, my greatest recent delight in this verse is the word: TOGETHER.
Yes, together... just that... one word pɛ! (only one word!)
Why?
Just because before I realised this, to me there were the good things that let us praise the Lord and the bad things that taught us and others lessons about God, us and the relationship He would so love us to have with Him and the things in between that made little, no or great impact on the lives connected to us. Funny enough, the three never worked together in my head. Separate entities with separate missions, or collaborations but never always working together.
When I realised that they sweetly blend and gel hand in hand my perception of this verse moved from "For the bitter and the sweet in life" to the "For the bittersweet of life to the glory of our good God"; because God works them together. He doesn't just bless us and allow us to stress; he brings a blessing in a stress and a stress in a blessing to groom us, keep us, revive us, renew us, uplift us to His glory alone. We are content in disappointments and disappointed in the securest fortresses of contentment and the two work hand in hand to help us look up to Him in praise, in need of Him, in dependance, in awe, for sufficiency, for provision...
He works ALL together for our good and simultaneously according to His purpose for His glory alone.
So the next time I am sad or glad, drained or pepped up to the max, and at the other paradoxes of life or the weird but not too unusual blends of the two, I can say with confidence that God works all things TOGETHER for my good. I may thus not undermine His pleasantries or exaggerate His chastening rod, I may just see it as that sweet blend of lime and pawpaw, pepper and onions, food flavouring and flour, mixed local spices and coleslaw, coffee and milk. Bitter, bland, sweet, extremes and similarities: Bittersweet, yes... but the perfect mix always to the glory of God...
And you....??
Yes, you...
What about you...???
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