God's Sovereign Control

Here is a promise every Christian can claim, either before or after a decision has been made: "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). This awesome promise doesn't enable us to see why God does what He does, nor is it a quick cure for sorrow; but it is a promise we cling to because we know that God is working for our good.

Be encouraged by the comprehensiveness of God's purposes. "All things" means everything works together for good. Life is haphazard, with no neat categories, but God makes them fit together. He finds a place for everything. What does He use to work for our good? He uses His Word and His people, but He also uses our foolish decisions, financial reversals, and people who work against us - "all" means all.

Don't misunderstand. We can't excuse our sinful decisions as fodder for God's good works; but God is greater than our mistakes and wrong choices. Paul says that all things "work together". The word in Greek is synergism, which derives from two words - syn, meaning "together", and ergo, meaning "to work". God works and He works things together. God sees around corners and knows the outcome in ways that you and I cannot possibly fathom; and He works everything together for our ultimate good.

When I was a boy on the farm, I loved to take things apart. My eldest brother was able to take apart a tractor motor, repair it, put it back together, and make it run again. The best I could do was take apart a clock because I was intrigued by all the little wheels. Some were going in the same direction as the hands of the clock, and others were going counterclockwise. Some were going fast and some slow. Because some of the wheels were spinning in opposite directions, it seemed as if some of the parts were working against themselves. But when I looked at the face and realised it kept time accurately, I had to admit that all the parts were working together for good.

Mark my words: When you have a bad day, it may be a very good day from God's standpoint. God is working to bring about your ultimate good. Only He can do that. When He synergises events, they fall together for good. I don't know how God takes sodium and chloride, both of which are poisonous, and puts them together to create salt, without which we could not possibly live. I don't know how God takes sin and disappointment and brings them together and makes something good out of them, but I'm convinced that He does. If you love Him and are called, you're in the circle of those who benefit from this special work of God.

- Erwin W. Lutzer, Making the Best of a Bad Decision