We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Have you ever taken a big spoonful of flour? Or maybe baking powder? They’re not the tastiest, so I wouldn’t advise heading to the cupboards to try it.
What about butter, or cinnamon? They’re not quite as rank to eat on their own, but I still wouldn’t advise snacking on them.
Raisins, oranges, or almonds though? Yeah, I can get on board with them.
An even better plan would be to stick them all together, add a few other ingredients and follow a recipe, and make a belter of a Christmas Cake. Now we’re talking!
To make a Christmas Cake (which I’ve never done by the way…) you need that combination of the right ingredients and the right recipe. That combination means there’s ingredients there that you’d never normally choose to eat, like flour or baking powder. The baking powder creates a reaction in the mixture which helps the cake to rise. Without it, the cake wouldn’t be worth munching.
God is good and He is at work in each and every part of a Christian’s life for good.
That means there are things that will happen in our lives that we’d never normally choose. But God will be at work in them.
Think about the story of Joseph. His brothers sold him as a slave. He was wrongfully imprisoned. He was rejected. He was forgotten about.
After his dad had died his brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge on them. Joseph’s reply was huge though:
“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” Genesis 50:20
Joseph endured much evil, but God used it all for good.
God uses even the worst things that happen in this world for the good of His people. God is infinitely good in His character, He can only do good. Even evil, in the hands of God, can be used for good. We may not always see how it is good for us, but we can trust it is, because God is good.
Jesus was born to die.
Does that shock you? I’d think for many of us it probably doesn’t shock us. We’ve maybe heard it countless times. But it should be shocking.
A baby was born with the purpose of growing up to die a brutal death. God Himself stepped into creation, and the very people He created rejected Him and murdered Him. It was the greatest ever evil.
And yet, it was for our good. Jesus died so many could be saved. The cross is the greatest evil, and yet the greatest good.
God is good, and He still works in everything for His people’s good.
We wouldn’t choose to eat flour on it’s own, and there’s plenty we’ll go through in our lives that we wouldn’t choose. But God is at work in it all for our ultimate good.
O Come Let Us Adore Him!
A thought to remember: God works in everything for His people’s good.
A question to ask: Are there parts of your life that you can look back on and see that God was working through them?
A bit more to read: Romans 8:18-39
A song to sing: Christ is Mine Forevermore