Can God Work Even This for Good?

Can God Work This for My Good

Can God Work This for My Good?I couldn’t tell you how many times I have prayed Paul’s words from the perspective-shifting promise found in Romans 8:28 while struggling to stay afloat in overwhelming storms. Believing that our sovereign God works all things (not just some) together (not separately) for His purposes provides the soul-steadying peace we need to sustain us until we reach calm waters.

However, it’s hard to stand firm on this truth when you’re lying face-up on a hardwood floor, showered in lukewarm coffee, writhing in pain because, in your rush to be on time for another appointment, you tumbled down the stairs instead. 

Yes, this was me three days before Christmas Eve and just two weeks before our eldest daughter’s winter wedding at the end of 2023.

Can God work this for good?

As I lay there in shock and tears, my mind jumped back on the to-do list track I’d been racing down, realizing it was about to be taken far off course by a potential injury. A few hours later, an x-ray confirmed that the snap I heard before I hit the floor was indeed a right foot fracture, along with a badly sprained ankle. 

Three days before Christmas. Two weeks before friends and family would fill our home and schedules with a whirlwind of wedding activities. In the winter, in Colorado (think snow and ice). Did I happen to mention that this was the third time I had broken a foot in this manner? (Story for another day).

Needless to say, I had a lot of questions for God that night—most starting with the word “why.” I’m sure you can imagine the lines of my monologue.

God works for His purposes

Have you found yourself floored by a crisis that hit at the absolute worst time, in the worst way? Have you struggled to believe that this familiar passage—a “go-to” most believers turn to when unwelcome circumstances arise—applies this time? Maybe you are having this conversation with God right now, and you’re not sure you can trust Him to respond the way you’d like Him to.

I get it. I struggled to surrender my anger, my anxiety, and my disappointment to the Lord, and trust that His sovereign ways were not the least bit deterred by my untimely injury. 

And I’ll be honest: It wasn’t easy to limp down the aisle with a DIY bedazzled boot. Or to sit still with my foot elevated while wedding guests joyfully danced and socialized. Walking in any form was painful and slow for weeks that turned into months.

But that’s not all I recall about the time following my stumble down the stairs.

I see the provision of friends who jumped in and supported us every step of the way. I see the blessing of beautiful weather and a snowstorm that held off just long enough to clear out the venue under a few floating snowflakes. Most importantly, I see how the unscheduled stillness freed up space to soak in every precious moment that I would treasure for years to come. 

These are just a few examples of the goodness of God I experienced. Only a sovereign God would be able to turn the derailing of my self-reliant busy train into the gift of learning to let go and trust the helping hands of others, and to stop moving long enough to truly take in the here and now. Broken foot and all.

What if I can’t see the good?

Friend, I know we don’t always see the good that God is working amid the destructive storms of life. We experience heartbreak, loss, and devastation that doesn’t appear to have any “good” purpose as far as we can see.

Can God Work This for My Good

Remember that Paul affirmed this promise in his letter to the new church forming in Rome. These early believers—and Paul himself—had and would continue to experience extreme persecution for following Jesus. Many died before the gospel spread beyond their city walls, yet we can see how every believer who courageously stood firm in the faith contributed to the tidal wave of transformation that would follow.  

“Though we must face the sufferings of this present time,” states commentary author David Guzik, “God is able to make even those sufferings work together for our good and His good.”

Today, we can also find comfort in the transforming truth that our loving God is good, our sovereign God is working even this for good, and our trustworthy God will sustain us to accomplish His purposes.

Are you struggling to hold onto this transforming truth from Romans because of an overwhelming situation? Have you witnessed God working through painful trials in your past? Let me know how I can pray for you today in the comments below.

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