In All Things

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." The verse is so familiar that it is worth reading as though for the first time. It does not say all things are good. It says God works in all things, including the ones that are not good, for good. The subject of the sentence is God, not circumstances.

It also limits its promise. The good is for those who love him and are called according to his purpose. This is not a general law of the universe that everything turns out fine. It is a family promise, made to people who belong to God, and the good it promises is defined in the next verse: being conformed to the image of his Son. That may not be the good you would have chosen. It is the good God is working toward.

Read that way, the verse is sturdier than the slogan. On a Thursday with unanswered questions, it does not promise that the questions will resolve. It promises that God is at work in them.