And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

We are living in chaotic times. Conflict in Afghanistan; heatwaves and wildfires; rare flooding in some countries; and a pandemic that isn’t going away any time soon. All this, coupled with our own personal troubles.

Recently, here in my country, three siblings perished in a housefire – a teen, a six-year-old and a three-year-old. Fortunately, two other siblings escaped. This heartbreaking tragedy rocked our country.

What do you say to parents who experienced such trauma? Will telling them, “Don’t worry, God will work it out for good” be enough to comfort them? It may or may not, depending on the strength of their faith. While it may take more than these words to comfort a grieving mother and father, God does work good in everything. But the good may not be noticeable right away.

God Works Good for His Chosen

Looking closer at Romans 8:28, we notice the good works for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) puts it this way: “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan.”

God created and chose us for a purpose. This is the theme we have seen in all the verses so far.

• Ephesians 2:10: Created in Christ Jesus for good works.
• Psalm 139:13-14: Fearfully and wonderfully made.
• Romans 12:2: Renewing our mind to know that good, perfect, and acceptable will of God.

Paul, called to be an apostle to the Gentiles, suffered tremendous hardship during his mission. He was imprisoned often, whipped countless times, and continuously faced death. On five separate occasions, he received thirty-nine lashes and three times beaten with rods. Stoned once. Three times shipwrecked and spent an entire day and night adrift at sea. Read more of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27.

He also had a condition he begged the Lord three times to take away from him, but the Lord refused. Paul explained the refusal was to keep him humble so the power of Christ can work through him (Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Yet, Paul, despite all his trials, remained faithful and finished the work God called him to do, and he looked forward to his reward:

“As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT.

Trials are not meant to weaken but strengthen us so we can become more like Jesus. Preparing us not only for earthly works but a future glory – the crown of righteousness.

God Worked Good in My Life

In my last blog post, I shared how I got pregnant at 19, married at 20 and divorced at age 25. During that five-year marriage, I gave birth to two babies, the first, a boy, the second, a girl. They both died a few hours after birth.

Twenty-one when the first baby died, I had difficulty processing what happened to me. How? Why? So many questions. I felt empty, as though life drained out of me. I thought I felt depression, but later I understood it to be grief.

Three years later, when my baby girl died, grief gripped again. Spiritually stronger, I drew comfort from thoughts of seeing my babies in the resurrection and vowed never to have any more children. After the divorce, I struggled to rebuild my life.

Yet, amidst the struggles, good things happened. Although I was happy to remain ‘family-less,’ God had other plans for me. You see, he restored me a family. Today, I have a husband and two children – a boy and a girl. They are teenagers now, and such a blessing. God gave me more than I asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20). He didn’t wait for the resurrection; He gave back my babies in this life.

Looking back, I can see God’s hand in my life. I could not understand what was happening to me at the time, but now I see how God rescued me from becoming a single mother with three young children to maintain. A burden I certainly could not bear back then. He waited for a time when I became mature and secure to take care of a family.

God Works Good Even in Tragedy

Earlier, I mentioned a fire that claimed the lives of three children. Heavy burglar-proofing trapped the children in the house. Not everyone here can afford security systems like ADT, so we use burglar-proofing as our security mechanism. Unfortunately, burglar-proofing can be a deterrent in cases of emergency.

One lesson learned is that escape routes should be identified in cases of fire, along with the installation of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. A lesson I pray citizens learn to avoid another mishap.

The family also received counselling, a house from the government, and other support from concerned citizens. These initiatives relieve the family of added stress, giving them time to heal and move on. These are just some of the good we can now see that came from this tragedy. Maybe, later on, God will reveal more.

God Works Good in Everything

God’s goal for your life is to become like Jesus. Therefore, look for the good in every situation. Even if you cannot see or understand what that good is now, trust God to reveal it eventually. If you remain faithful and continue to love Him, He will work out everything in your life for good because you are called, justified, and glorified. You are His masterpiece.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for taking every situation and turning it around for Your glory and my good. Nothing is impossible for You. Whenever I face trials, please help me to trust You. Show me how You are strengthening my character through suffering, and help me to patiently endure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.