Day 3: For the good
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Suppose someone wrongs you, treats you unkindly, even cruelly. Is that wrong or cruelty of God’s doing? No! God never did anything that was not love.
A good woman met with two great troubles in a couple of weeks. First her husband died. He left his family well provided for, but within two weeks the person in charge of his estate embezzled his whole fortune, leaving the widow and little children without money enough even to pay the funeral expenses.
It may be easy to say that the death of the husband was God’s will. He was God’s child and his work was done. But can we say that the embezzlement was God’s will? Surely not in the sense that God approved of it. God never is the author of a crime. But the moment the sin was committed against His child, God took it into His hand—“Eternal God that chance did guide”—and thus it became part of His plan and began to work for good.
That was the way God did with the crime of Joseph’s brothers—He caused it to work for Joseph’s good, and for the good of His people. That was the way He did with the crime against Jesus—He made it to work for the saving and blessing of the world.
It will be the same in your case, if anyone wrongs you or treats you unjustly. The wrong or the injustice is not God’s act, but if you are God’s child, your Father takes the evil into His hands as soon as it has been committed, and it becomes thenceforth a secret of blessing; it is overruled so as to be among the “all things” that work together for good.
~ James R. Miller ~ Afterward You Will Understand, pub. 1909
Our gracious, heav’nly Father has His reasons up above
For everything that happens, in which we know not of;
So, we can safely trust Him Who winnoweth our way,
And for good all things are working to those who will obey.
“Come to Me, ye heavy laden, I will give you peace and rest”;
This promise He has given, now put it to the test:
Bring to Christ your every burden in humble, contrite prayer;
Whether sins, or grief, or sorrow, the Lord will meet you there.
~ Harlan D. Sorrell ~ 1987
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