All Things Work Together For Good--Romans 8:28

Seven Ways That Demonstrate How God Brings Good Out Of All Our Sufferings

1. God will use these “things” to get our attention. “All things work together for good…” The “All things” in Romans 8:28 refer to the trials, sufferings and tragedies that often hit us in our lives and surprise us when we least expect it.

a. Let me explain, all of us occasionally pass through times of spiritual dryness and aridity of soul where we see our love for Christ cooled. We may become spiritually tired and exhausted and the word of God seems to lose its effect on our lives.

b. What shall we do at times like this? Superficial and shallow people simply inject another program into the church or create another busy activity that exhausts people who are already worn out and spiritually fatigued.

c. God’s method is to get our attention through these “things” that Paul is mentioning. A true child of God knows when God is calling for his attention. These “things” bring us back to our senses, and help us to refocus and cause us to listen to the voice of God once more. David said in Psalms 119:67, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” David was drifting spiritually but then some affliction hit him and it brought him to his senses and he returned to the Lord.

2. God will use these “things” to develop patience, godly character in our lives, and to mold us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. James tells us in James 1:2-3, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

3. God will use these “things” to teach us how to pray, to trust, to walk with Him more faithfully. Dr. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, “Christian people are generally at their best when in the furnace of affliction.”

4. God may use these “things” to teach us humility. Struggling, suffering people are not usually over confident and arrogant. They aren’t proud and self-sufficient thinking they can live without God or without His word and Spirit working in their lives. Humility dwells with those who are suffering and sorrowing.

5. God will use these “things” to make us more tender, sympathetic, and understanding of the hurts, bruises, and needs of others. “Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (II Corinthians 1:4). When we suffer we are able, from our own experiences, to comfort others. When we have gone through the fire we know how to help those who are passing through the flames of trial and tribulation.

6. God will use these “things” to teach us deeper lessons about His own person. We learn about His,

a. Forgiveness

b. Faithfulness (He doesn’t forsake us)

c. Omnipotence (as He keeps his promise)

d. Omnipresence (as He draws near to comfort)

e. Tenderness

f. Patience (bearing long with us in our failures)

g. Provision, etc.

7. God uses these “things” to prepare us for Heaven.

a. So often we are earth bound, we do not have that joyful anticipation of the coming glory.

b. But pain, suffering, sorrow and tragedy, etc. will develop a godly longing to be with Christ.

c. Perhaps your heartaches are preparing you to look up for your redemption is drawing nigh.