Given the events of this past week relative to the fraud attempted to be perpetrated on so many of you, I was praying more intently than usual about what passage of Scripture I should highlight in this encouragement section this week. I was reminded again of the truth of Romans 8:28 – We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. This means that even having to deal with scam artists and fraudsters, and even suffering a financial loss as a result of their schemes (something which happened to me personally a few years ago) will still ultimately be used by God not just for good in general, but for our personal good in particular.

I found Robert J. Morgan’s comments concerning this verse in chapter 34 of his book, One Hundred Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, to be particularly insightful. We hope that it blesses your soul, as well. Here is Morgan’s account:

Romans 8:28 is the favorite verse of millions around the world. It’s arguably the greatest promise in the Bible, for it summarizes all the others. It’s the Biblical basis for optimism and the promise that morphs us into resilient sanguines, whatever our temperament. It’s God’s darkroom in which negatives become positive. It’s His situation-reversal machine in which heartaches are changed into hallelujahs. It is the foundation of hope and a fountainhead of confidence. Even our failures can become enriching, and our sins can be redeemed. Even death itself becomes a blessing for the child of God.

Romans 8:28 is all-inclusive, all-powerful, and always available. It is as omnipotent as the God who signed and sealed it. It’s as loving as the Savior who died to unleash it. It can do anything God can do. It can touch any hurt and redeem any problem. It isn’t a mere platitude but a divine promise. It isn’t a goal but a guarantee. It isn’t wishful thinking but a shaft of Almighty providence that lands squarely on our pathway each day and every moment.

The Lord moves heaven and earth to keep His promise. He puts His eye to the microscope of providential oversight and scans the smallest details of our lives, working them into a tapestry of blessing, making sure goodness and mercy follow us all our days (Psalm 23:6).

In memorizing this verse, remember that the first part is the promise; the last half is the condition. The first part tells us what God will do in working all things for our good. The last part gives us our responsibility – to love Him and be true to his purposes in our lives. Memorize Romans 8:28, and you need never despair again.

Morgan then gives the following quote by Charles Spurgeon:

Everything that happens to you is for your own good. If the waves roll against you, it only speeds your ship toward the port. If lightning and thunder come, the rain clears the atmosphere and promotes your soul’s health. You gain by loss, you grow healthy in sickness, you live by dying, and you are made rich in losses.

Could you ask for a better promise? It is better that all things should work for my good than all things should be as I would wish to have them. All things might work for my pleasure and yet might all work my ruin. If all things do not always please me, they will always benefit me.

This is the best promise of this life.

And finally, Morgan ends his chapter with the following quote from John A. Broadus:

We cannot fully understand now, but when we stand upon the heights of glory, we shall look back with joy on the things we have suffered, for we shall know then that our severest trials were a part of the “all things” which worked together for eternal good. 

Morgan’s chapter ends at this point; however, we pray that the outworking of the truth set forth in Romans 8:28 does not cease to continue blessing your hearts nor ours. As long as sin and evil persist in our fallen world, there will be more and more scams and frauds attempted by evil people seeking to do us harm; there will be sickness and disease; there will be more so-called “mistakes” that each of us will make. What a comfort to know that the sovereign providence of our loving Savior is superintending all of that, and much, much more, for our present and eternal good. Soli Deo Gloria!

Love,

John & Terri
Rom. 8:28