Today I share an excerpt of a devotional from my compilation eBook, Pearls to Treasure. The whole book features the best people-stories, devotionals, interviews, and short fiction from my first 25 years in publishing ministry. Here are my comments on a passage that's so familiar it's nearly lost its meaning to those of us who are weary and disappointed, grieving or ailing. If that could describe you, there's hope--read on ...
Devotion on Romans 8:28
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.
Admit it. When you saw the Scripture reference quoted above,
you glossed right over the words. Normally, so would I. After all, we know what
it says; we've heard it quoted squillions of times. Quoted glibly to
us—purportedly to comfort us in our darkest hours. More often, it left us
feeling like it had been quoted at us. Leaving us feeling even less
understood by a distant Creator who thinks everything in this world—in our
lives—is good. "All things work together for good …" Blah. Blah. Blah.
We know better, don't we?
Recently I ran into this verse in a new way. Often reading a
different translation of the Scripture can give me a fresh perspective of its
content. So, humor me and read Romans 8:28 from the New International Version,
quoted above. When I did this, one phrase breathed new life into it for me: "in
all things God works …" My eyes stopped right there. I read it over again.
Selfishly, I had always focused my attention on "things" in life working
together for my good. Yes, I tagged on an obligatory "for His glory,"
almost as an afterthought. But mostly I have been concerned about everything in
life being good for me—good in my eyes and on my time table.
This may be somewhat understandable since the translators of
the King James Version made it sound like the "things" are acting all by
themselves: "And we know that all things work together for good …" Clearly,
someone is orchestrating "all things," but He's working incognito, in the
background. It's easy to forget He's there, when you put it that way. My writing
professors always harped on the notion that tight writing shows who's causing
the action; it features the actor.
That's why this phrase in the niv readjusted my perspective. You see,
the Apostle Paul wrote this great truth not to focus my attention on me, but to
focus on the God who is at work, intimately involved in all the happenings in
this life. I had failed to receive comfort from this verse, because my eyes had been
in the wrong place.
Everything we know about the character of God attests to the
fact of His unparalleled love for us, to His longing for intimate interaction
with each one of us—in every moment of our lives.
So, the fact that "in all things God works" is consistent
with all we know about our Creator and Friend. He is at work in our lives
because He loves us, He longs to express His grace and His truth to our needy
hearts. What a comfort to know that in every circumstance God doesn't just stand
by and watch, He doesn't just allow things to happen, but He works to make
things happen. Good things. For the translators of all the versions agree that
the ultimate result of this work does indeed come for good—yours and mine—and
this results in His eternal glory.
My Father and my Friend,
I acknowledge Your loving hand at work in all of
the circumstances of my life, and I trust You completely to orchestrate them all
for Your glory and for my good.
Amen.
Blessings and prayers,
Julie © 2010, Julie-Allyson Ieron. Excerpted by permission from Pearls to Treasure, Julie-Allyson Ieron, a Joy Media eBook. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, email: orders@joymediaservices.com
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