Why am I here? What is life all about? What is the meaning of life? How we answer these big-picture questions is important so we can live with hope and a sense of purpose in times of uncertainty, pain, and frustration.
What is the meaning of life according to the Bible? According to the Bible, knowing God is the meaning of life because He is the “author of life” (John 17:3). The meaning of life is not based on things we see in the world “for life is more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Luke 12:23).
What does it mean to know God? Why can’t we base the meaning of life on relationships, career, or personal happiness? Understanding the answer to these questions in the Bible gives a sense of purpose and fulfillment in our lives.
What is the meaning to life? Why am I? What is my reason/purpose? A routine question that strikes us at moments of reflection/trial. What is “Life”?
God, as The Author of life, brings meaning to life. Everything God created was meant to show what God is like. God created a world with a purpose, by His design. The world we live in and the life of every person has a purpose and is not just the product of chance, random events, and biological selection.
Just like your parents here on earth, your Heavenly Father wants to hear from you and talk to you. When you pray, He listens. Then He answers your prayers in the form of thoughts, spiritual feelings, scripture, or even the actions of other people.
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Prayer helps you gain an understanding of God’s loving nature
The scriptures teach, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). You can feel that love as you speak daily with Him through prayer, seeking His guidance in your life.
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Prayer provides answers
Praying and listening to the answers God gives you can help you better understand your purpose in life. God will help you understand why you are here and what you can do to return to live with Him after this life.
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Prayer helps you find direction in your life
When you privately pray to God, you can work through serious decisions in your life. God always listens and often provides the specific answers and guidance we seek. Even when He chooses not to answer immediately or in the way we might have hoped, prayer itself is a way to find peace.
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Prayer gives you strength to avoid temptation
Jesus counseled His disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Through prayer, we can overcome temptations to sin. Pray for God’s help to keep you from making wrong choices. This will give you the strength to do what is right.
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Prayer aligns your will with God’s will
The purpose of prayer is not necessarily to tell God how you want Him to do things. Rather, it’s to better understand Him and His ways, bringing yourself into alignment with His will. As C.S. Lewis is often attributed as saying, prayer “doesn’t change God. It changes me.”
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Prayer and regular fasting can help you accept God’s will
Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before He began His ministry on the earth. As He did this, He communed with His Father in Heaven in prayer. Likewise, if you pray and fast, you can feel closer to God and better understand the things He wants you to do.
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Prayer can work miracles
Throughout the scriptures, we see many examples of the Lord working miracles as an answer to prayer. In Old Testament times, the prophet Daniel was thrown into a lions’ den because he refused to stop praying. When he prayed to God in the lions’ den, angels appeared and closed the mouths of the lions. Through daily prayer, you can also experience personal miracles such as healing, peace, and forgiveness for sins.
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Prayer invites the Holy Spirit into your life
As you pray daily, you invite the Holy Spirit to be with you and to comfort and direct you. The Holy Spirit can give you answers, help you feel God’s love, and bring feelings of peace and joy into your heart.
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Prayer helps you become more like Jesus
Jesus set the perfect example of prayer. If you try to follow His example through prayer, you will become more like Him and develop a better relationship with Him and Heavenly Father.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Philippians 4:13-15
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
Philippians 4:13-15
“A man after God’s own heart” refers to King David, as noted in 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22, describing someone who aligns their will with God’s and seeks Him passionately. It does not mean perfection, but rather a heart that repents, loves what God Loves, and humbly serves Him.
Key characteristics of this heart, often highlighted in the Psalms, include:
Deep Repentance: David openly confessed his sins, as shown in Psalm 51, asking God for a clean heart.
Worship and Presence: David valued God’s presence above all else, often expressing this in Psalms (e.g., Psalm 84, 68).
Obedience and Trust: A willingness to follow God and trust Him in challenging situations.
Integrity: A genuine desire to follow God, acknowledging weaknesses and depending on God’s grace.
The phrase emphasizes that God values a heart that turns toward Him, rather than a perfect life free from error.
Psalms 23:6 NIV [6] Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6 (KJV) states: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” This final verse promises that God’s loving-kindness and mercy are constant companions throughout life, offering believers eternal presence with Him.
Key insights from Psalm 23:6 include:
Constant Pursuit: “Goodness and mercy” are not passive; they are depicted as pursuing or following the believer daily.
Confidence in Provision: This verse brings a message of comfort and assurance, emphasizing that God’s care is guaranteed for the entire life of a believer.
Eternal Fellowship: “Dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” refers to both present daily communion with God and an eternal, intimate relationship with Him
Concluding Assurance: While the psalm describes perils like the “valley of the shadow of death” (v. 4), the final verse concludes with a firm conviction that God’s goodness prevails.
The phrase emphasizes that believers can trust in God’s lasting presence
King David is described in the Bible as a man after God’s own heart who served God’s purpose in his generation before his death. While not perfect and having committed serious sins, David was committed to God’s ways, repented sincerely when he failed, and sought God throughout his life.
Key Aspects of David’s Faithfulness:
“A Man After God’s Heart”:1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22 cite God calling David a man who would do all His will.
Repentance and Humility: When confronted with his sins (e.g., with Bathsheba), David did not justify himself, but instead repented, as seen in Psalm 51.
Commitment to God’s Purpose: David served God by leading Israel, fighting their battles, and obeying God’s commands.
A “Messy” Faithfulness: David’s life shows that God can use a flawed, repentant person, establishing an eternal covenant with David despite his failures.
David “served God’s purpose in his own generation, died, was buried with his ancestors, and experienced decay” (Acts 13:36), indicating he followed God until his life’s end.
According to 1 Kings 1:1–4, King David, in his extreme old age, did have a young, beautiful woman named Abishag the Shunammite lie with him to provide body heat, but the Bible explicitly states that he did not have sexual relations with her. She served as his attendant and nurse, aiming to keep him warm.
king David refused to lie with a young beautiful woman for warmth in his old age
According to 1 Kings 1:1–4, King David, in his extreme old age, did have a young, beautiful woman named Abishag the Shunammite lie with him to provide body heat, but the Bible explicitly states that he did not have sexual relations with her. She served as his attendant and nurse, aiming to keep him warm, as reported in this Wikipedia article.
The Situation: David was elderly, frail, and unable to stay warm, prompting his servants to find a “young virgin” to serve him.
Abishag’s Role: She was chosen for her beauty, but her purpose was to be a therapeutic bed-warmer and caregiver.
The Outcome: The Bible, in this Bible Project article, highlights, “the king did not know her sexually,” emphasizing his extreme frailty or a lack of desire in his final days.
Political Context: The failure to have sexual relations became significant later, as seen in this EttingerWriting.com article, when Adonijah asked for her, which Solomon viewed as an attempt to take over the throne
Abishag was very beautiful and well known for her beauty. She was a young woman in the time of King David’s old age. She was chosen to be a
helper to David in his final days. We are told “they put covers on him but could not keep him warm.”
Her duties were to “lie next to David and keep him warm.” However, 1 Kings 1:4 says David did not have sexual relations with her {“but the king knew her not (intimately)”}.
Abishag was more than likely a servant of the household. The scriptures make it clear that she and David did not share an intimate relationship.
After the death of King David, his son Adonijah entreated King Solomon, through persuading Bathsheba, to allow him to marry Abishag. Afraid Adonijah wanted his throne, Solomon had his half-brother put to death.
The mustard seed in the Bible is a metaphor used by Jesus to represent faith and the kingdom of heaven. The most well-known verses are Matthew 17:20, which states that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains, and Matthew 13:31-32, which compares the kingdom of heaven to a tiny seed that grows into a large tree.
Key Mustard Seed Verses:
Matthew 17:20 (NKJV): “So Jesus said to them, ‘…for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.'”
Matthew 13:31-32 (ESV): “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree…”
Luke 17:6 (ESV): “And the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.'”
Key Interpretations:
Small Faith, Big Results: The “mustard seed” represents a small, yet genuine, amount of faith that can overcome massive obstacles (metaphorical mountains).
Growth of the Kingdom: The parable highlights that the Kingdom of God started small (with Jesus and a few disciples) but grows into something vast that impacts the world.
The Focus is God: It is not the amount of faith that matters, but the strength of the God in whom that faith is placed.
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Your next chapter that God is leading you into is so much greater than where you have been. God is not finished with your story—He is turning the page into something new, purposeful, and filled with hope. What lies ahead carries greater clarity, deeper peace, and stronger faith. Even if the transition feels uncertain, trust that God is guiding every detail. He never moves you without preparing something better. Leave behind what no longer serves His purpose and step forward with confidence. This new chapter is not random—it is divinely written. Keep trusting, keep believing, and keep moving forward. The Author of your life is writing something beautiful, and your best is still ahead.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19.
Isaiah 43:19 is a message of hope and divine renewal, where God declares, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”. It encourages releasing the past (v. 18) to embrace God’s present, transformative work.
Key Themes and Interpretations:
Active Renewal: The “new thing” indicates God is currently working and creating, not just planning for the future.
Divine Intervention: God promises to create paths through impossible situations (“wilderness”) and provide sustenance in barren times (“rivers in the desert”).
Perception and Faith: It calls believers to recognize and trust in God’s, often unexpected, work rather than dwelling on past, “former things”.
Context: Originally, this promised Israel’s deliverance from Babylonian captivity, paralleling the historic Exodus from Egypt.
It is frequently interpreted as a message to trust God for new beginnings, healing, and overcoming obstacles.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH JESUS CHRIST.
GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY WITH PEACE HOPE and JOY in Jesus’ MIGHTY Name, Amen.
There are seasons in life when we feel tired, weak, or unsure of our own abilities. In those moments, it can feel like we are not strong enough to keep going. But God often does His greatest work when we feel the weakest. Our limitations become the very place where His power is revealed. When we surrender our struggles to Him, His strength fills the spaces where our strength runs out. God sees your heart, your effort, and your faith, even when others may not notice. What looks like a setback today may become a powerful testimony tomorrow. The challenges you face are shaping you, strengthening you, and preparing you for something greater than you imagined. Do not lose hope in difficult moments. Trust that God is working through every weakness to reveal His glory. With Him, your weakness can become a story of victory and encouragement for others.
2 Corinthians 12:9 is a pivotal Bible verse where God tells the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness“. It emphasizes that God’s strength is most effective in human limitations, leading Paul to boast in his weaknesses so Christ’s power may rest upon him.
Key Aspects of 2 Corinthians 12:9:
“My grace is sufficient for you”: God’s grace is all-encompassing, providing enough strength and support for any situation or trial.
“My power is made perfect in weakness”: Divine strength is not diminished but rather fully realized and displayed when human capability reaches its limit.
Paul’s Response: Instead of despairing over his “thorn in the flesh,” Paul chooses to celebrate his weaknesses because they allow him to rely on Christ rather than himself.
Context: This verse is God’s answer to Paul’s prayers for relief from a trial, teaching that endurance and dependency on God are more important than immediate comfort.
Common Translations:
KJV: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
NIV: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
The verse is a source of encouragement that human inadequacy is not a barrier to God’s work, but rather the setting in which His strength is best demonstrated.
Prayer:
Lord, when we feel weak, remind us that Your strength is greater. Help us trust You and walk forward in faith. Amen.
This touched me for so many reasons… Watch and be blessed as you set out to share your blessings with the world.
Based on Romans 8:28, this encouragement highlights that God orchestrates all circumstances—both positive and negative—for the ultimate spiritual good of those who love Him. This assurance means believers can trust God’s sovereignty in hardship, using talents to glorify Him, knowing that challenges serve a higher purpose.
Key aspects of this promise include:
“All Things” Includes Challenges: God uses pain, sickness, poverty, and mistakes to work for good.
Active Divine Involvement: God works through circumstances to refine believers, rather than just passively letting things happen.
The Purpose: The ultimate goal is to conform believers to His purpose and bring them into a deeper relationship with Him.
Context of Love: This promise is specifically for those who love God and are “called according to his purpose”.
This message serves as a reminder to remain steadfast and faithful, as God takes control of complex situations to bring about a positive outcome.
All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
This is a powerful verse, not to be skimmed over. Many Christians seem to be struggling with hopelessness and spiritual “dryness” these days, so we need to intimately know and cling to its truth. Let’s study it out together so we can stand more strongly in this present hour.
Firstly, believe this verse…
To hold any merit for us individually, a verse must be believed down to its bones or it will not hold up the weight of our fleshly world, and all its baggage. If we are crushed, utterly broken in spirit and mind, and physically exhausted, it is likely not due to circumstance, but due to defiance (against God, against the Word). While we may not mean to be so spiritually backward, the bottom line is, we do defy God especially during long-suffering trials. How? We magnify our immediate problems and minimize our Eternal God. We also refuse to let Him help us in the natural because we are too busy being distracted, being offended, and relentlessly problem-solving on our own. To combat this gross error (which the Word calls stubbornness or being stiff-necked), we actively need to do something different in our approach to life if we expect to see much better days ahead. Remember, we want to become better, not bitter!
Reintroduce the critical element of BELIEF into your life.
We were designed, by God Himself, to LEAN. This is not failure. This is obedience. We are to be independent of sin, yes, but never independent of God. He is still — always was and always will be — our Helper. Our Father. Therefore, we are to lean on Him — not lightly, HEAVILY, in ALL THINGS. There is nothing about you that God is not interested in, so let Him meddle. Let Him get His hands in it. You are still a CHILD, no matter how old you are in earthen years. God always knows best and is the Master on how to live life well. All this said, you will not lean on anything that you do not believe can hold you up. Belief, trust and faith in God is elemental. He is holding you up and propelling the universe as well (Hebrews 1:3). You are not heavy to Him. Moreover, please…
Mark these words:
NO ONE can stand up against the Almighty God.
We must be with and for Jesus, otherwise we are working against Him (Matthew 12:30). The enemy is deceptive and seeks to steal our relationship with Christ. So carefully evaluate your stance. In great difficulty, we can unknowing get turned round and refuse to see the warning signs regarding our spiritual state.
In Luke 22:31–33 (AMPC), Jesus says to Peter:
Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain,
But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.
And [Simon Peter] said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death (emphasis, author’s).
The litmus test (on if we have turned our back on God during the chaos and confusion of trial) is our increased level of complaining, grumbling, and murmuring against God. Like Job, Satan has asked to mess with ALL Christians (according to Luke 22:31 above), but it is to no event for those in Christ Jesus (I have already prayed for you…).
Nevertheless, in the midst of it, this is a wilderness position, flanked by confusion and hopelessness, wherein we become overly afraid of unduly-assigned punishment, and we bend, and we wilt, we dry out, we feel lost. The cure is that we should ultimately repent (turn back toward God), rather than ask Him to repent to suit us. When we can see straight again, we will view the magnitude of oppression as a compliment and testament that the enemy of God counts us as an actual threat. Oft times it is more concerning if nothing ever comes against a saint.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12, KJV).
What a strange war! But God’s Spirit, just like He did with Jesus, will also lead us out of this impoverished estate (Matthew 4:1). Bring us out of temptation; deliver us from all evil (Matthew 6:13, Lord’s Prayer). If the wilderness is where you have landed, it is a test of your faith and it is for a Divine Purpose (Matthew 4:11–16).
Again, believe this verse: All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
God is ALWAYS working on your behalf. God is Good. God is love. He knows what He is doing with you.
Secondly, understand the capacity, scope, and scale…
To be called, by God, is continual. The anointing is irrevocable. But it requires faith, not feelings. We need belief that moves far beyond our feelings. We need faith that moves mountains.
Beyond our understanding and human reason, the Plan of God is mastered and present only in God’s mind, imparted to us through Christ and the Word of God, via the Holy Spirit (our Holy Communicator). We are to trust in God’s Master Plan. We have the blueprints (the Bible). There is no other plan. There is no other God. Moreover, God PROMISES His Plans are good — by His design, they work out ultimately for our eternal good, His good, and the good of others 100% of the time.
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome (Jeremiah 29:11, AMPC).
He has His reasons and He wants our “buy in”. Like the Apostles said to Jesus, “Where else are we going to go? You (alone) have the keys (Words) to Eternal Life” (John 6:68; paraphrase, author’s).
Everyone has an eternal life, and some souls will spend it apart from God.
Do not let that be your fate.
Choose, this day, Whom you will serve.
Choose Christ Jesus — the only Way to the Father.[1]
God’s purposes are massively and eternally valuable and, as such, are not always easy to obtain. Do the hard thing in a way that glorifies God. What else do we have to do here? We are to live to and for Him. Often, good things — the very best things in life — come through the hardest things. Every baby born is a testament to this process, every rainbow after the storm, every flower after winter. Every single thing is building up into the Kingdom of God: every win, every fall; every ebb, every flow; every season under the Son; every pain, every solace. He is our Purpose, what propels us forward. Romans 8:28 includes us in “all things”. We are a part of His Purpose. This verse is circularly fed:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28, NASB).
“All things” also includes life’s relentless battles. The Great Difficulty, the Great Depression, of your life experience CAN ONLY be endured successfully if you give it up — please hear this. The darkest events and seasons of your life experience CAN ONLY be endured successfully if you give them up, purposefully and intentionally, TO GOD. If you are going to suffer anything, give it to God so He can use it. You wouldn’t give your private pain to anyone else — no one else can understand it or bear it. No one else was even there. It is yours alone. Except for Jesus. The only one left standing there, in front of you, is Jesus Christ (see John 8:1–11). No one else was ever commissioned by God to bear it. You have to let go of it by giving it ALL up to God — all your things… so they do not crush you or stop you. God is not punishing you. He is standing in front of you, waiting on you. Open your eyes. Open your hands. Open your heart. HAND IT OVER.
Don’t exhaust yourself. Rather, cooperate with God!
Jesus Christ, meek and strong to extremes, is the only One able to handle all the life experience God can delve out. Likewise, we cannot handle Satan’s tactics without Christ. Abased or abounding, Christ only can handle the gamut for you. This life-game between good and evil, the great gamble of you being in the middle, is no secret. It is Christianity 101. There are seemingly unreasonable expectations of what we can do. Yet, in fact, we are expressly told that we can do nothing, by design, without Christ (see John 15:5). This is the point He is driving at. He has His hand held out to us still. We are the ones who are daft in pride, blinded, and running out of autonomous power, energy and will. We need Jesus.
Take Jesus’ hand.
As the verse says, GOD CAUSES good to come out of anything.
Think of the world war: nonsensical, confusing, imposed, inconvenient, costly, unfair — yet ultimately won the world over. Now think of your world war. Oh the worlds God has made… You must walk though some version of the same war, for the battle of good versus evil is the same on your turf — no one escapes it and there is only one way to win it. Give it to God (1 Samuel 17:47, Deuteronomy 20:4, Chronicles 20:15).
Thirdly, ask your questions…
…one of which may be: How can “all things” be considered good?
They are most definitely not. God despises evil. The Bible says again and again that we overcome evil with good; it does not deny that evil exists in the fallen world. However, the enemy’s time is limited and his power is contained. This is very good news indeed.
Romans 8:28 is plainly saying that God Himself will take the evil and “work with you” to overcome it. Things are often more perceptually hard than actually hard. For example, we dread doing the dishes all day when, if we time it, it takes less than five minutes of activity. Likewise, a diagnosis from the doctor can overwhelm us, but it need not because God is with us in that, too. So for all of it — from the smallest chore to the largest negative — increase your confidence in the power of God to meet your needs (all of them). He is positive and will use everything the enemy meant for your harm and destruction to ULTIMATELY bless you (and others as well).
In God’s economy, we must remain balanced, keeping a watchful eye on the soul, the inner, spiritual self, but to also live unselfishly. We are, in our interior isolation, also part of a vast body, an army, that is growing and gaining power rapidly. Those who are “called” and honor the call of God, welcome others to witness. It is sometimes one of the hardest things to endure when we want to run and hide. But we are made in God’s image, in the likeness of Christ, so dramatic events create a show that other lost souls gather round to watch. It is uncomfortable for the one suffering to have an audience for their times of weakness, but Christ let his loved ones look on while he was crucified so they could believe in the power of overcoming evil and death, so they would follow Him into His Resurrection and Everlasting Life.
Think on this:
How has the cross of Jesus Christ become so famous while multitudes of others died in the same way without so much as a name written down on a scroll?
That event got your attention and God used it to save you, did He not?
So let others watch you in your difficulty.
They will see God resurrect it and bless you with increase.
Fourthly, acknowledge the continuation of your committed relationship…
Isaiah 54:5 (NIV) reads: “For your Maker is your husband — the LORD Almighty is his name — the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”
Jesus read from the Book of Isaiah in the first person, for the Scriptures were written about Himself (Luke 4:17–21; Matthew 5:17–20). This means our relationship with Him is not “like” a marriage; it is a marriage (Revelation 22:17). “For better or worse” is included in the whole of life and neither extreme breaks your bond with Christ. As Bride (saved), you will be tested on it; and so will Jesus, as Groom. He will pass the test, and help you pass yours. After the fire, the refined gold, the band and bond, will be stronger. What kind of love is this (John 15:13)!
Back to our passage…
All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Sun-ergon [sonergos, “fellow worker” or “work together”] includes all the work and energy both under the sun (external) and within the soul (internal). We are correctly “yoked” when we deliberately “work together” with God, Who is the active partner in all of our labors. When we work as He would have us do (i.e., forgive your enemies), we work as unto the Lord.
[F]or it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13, ESV).
Regarding our souls, it is the Lord Who is actually doing the “work” inside — using all things external to us to do internal workings for the betterment and advancement of His Kingdom. And He works best through the bond of love. During trial, it is of paramount importance to not loose your love for Him, for He does the Great Commission through your life’s ups and downs, your length of journey, through the energy of love (fruit of the Spirit inside of you).
The testament of a good marriage is its endurance.
Keep your will of service.
Stay with Him closely and His will WILL BE DONE through you!
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers explains, “All things [in Romans 8:28 includes] persecution and suffering. [To] work together [means we] contribute [in their overcoming]”[2]
These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace: in the world ye shall have affliction, but be of good comfort: I have overcome the world (John 16:33, GNV).
Jesus answered them, “My Father is always working, and I too must work” (John 5:17, GNT).
We contribute in Christ’s work in the overcoming of all things for the side of good.
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Benson Commentary states of Romans 8:28:
…[A]ll things — Namely, that occur in the course of divine providence, such as worldly losses or gains, poverty or riches, reproach or commendation, contempt or honour, pain or ease, sickness or health, and the ten thousand changes of life; work together — Strongly and sweetly, in a variety of unthought-of and unexpected ways; for spiritual and eternal good to them [who love God]…[3]
What do difficulties do for us?
As purifying fires, they tend to purge us from our corrupt passions and lusts, as gold and silver are purified from their dross in the fire; and to cause us, who are naturally earthly, sensual, and devilish, to die to the world and sin, and become heavenly, holy, and divine. They tend, therefore, through the grace of God, without which they can do nothing, to increase our holiness and conformity to our living Head; and whatever increases these, must increase our happiness here and hereafter, especially hereafter. To which may be added, that God will as assuredly reward us in a future state for our sufferings in this life, if patiently endured, as for our labours faithfully and perseveringly performed.[4]
To “work together” means that there is no suffering to be endured on the earth that will cause our Husband to leave us alone or helpless in it. We may feel helpless, but the truth is we are NOT helpless or abandoned:
Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not](Hebrews 13:5, AMPC; emphasis, author’s)!
Matthew Henry discusses the broader concept of goodness:
That is good for the saints which does their souls good. Every providence tends to the spiritual good of those that love God; in breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, and fitting them for heaven. When the saints act out of character, corrections will be employed to bring them back again. And here is the order of the causes of our salvation, a golden chain, one which cannot be broken.
The power of corruption being broken in effectual calling, and the guilt of sin removed in justification [via Christ], nothing can come between that [claimed, saved] soul and glory. This encourages our faith and hope; for, as for God, his way, his work, is perfect.
[In Romans 8:28] the apostle speaks as one amazed, and swallowed up in admiration, wondering at the height and depth, and length and breadth, of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. The more we know of other [worldly] things, the less we wonder [in awe of God]; but the further we are led into gospel mysteries, the more we are affected by them. While God is for us, and we keep in his love, we may with holy boldness defy all the powers of darkness.[5]
Your true Husband loves you…
May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [that you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself] (Ephesians 3:17–19, AMPC)!
Final point: learn not to complain after change…
Perhaps things are not as you would choose them to be right now. When you were called out, all looked glorious, but it seems you fell a long, hard line to the ground. God knows that, but He has not allowed for your release from this unexpected captivity yet. He put those holy desires in your heart in the first place — freedom, love, blessedness — but sometimes the span of the wait is longer than anticipated. Sometimes we wish, like a good husband, God would have sat us down ahead of time and warned us “this and that is about to happen. This is why. This is how long it will take. Please stay with Me, it is only temporary. I know you would rather not, but this is what we have to do for now. Are you with Me, My beloved wife?”
Doesn’t this sort of conversation sound very similar to the following accounts in the Word:
OLD TESTAMENT:
Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord (Job 1:9–12, ESV).
JESUS HIMSELF:
So [Jesus] left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, 44, NIV).
NEW TESTAMENT (JESUS’ APOSTLES, IN HIS IMAGE):
Three times I was beaten with rods…three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep (Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:25, NASB). …[T]he Holy Spirit clearly and emphatically affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me (Acts 20:23, AMPC).
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61–62, ESV).
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:7–10, NKJV).
In Matthew 19:27, Peter basically echoes Job when he says, “Jesus, we have lost everything to follow You. What do we get out of it? Something here doesn’t seem fair” (paraphrase, author’s).
Like Peter’s complaint, this is the very same feeling that we Christians get today when everything in our life suddenly changes and we cannot understand why God allowed things to happen as they did. But we do not walk by feelings or what we see around us. We walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), or what we see within us and within the Word (not the “world”). The Bible calls the Word the “real reality”.
Faith, or belief in God, that He works even the most difficult things out for good, is bolstered by looking at the end of these Books in the Bible. For example, in the end, Job was doubly blessed. In the Book of Revelation, we are Eternally blessed.
We must, as we learn from the Books of Job and Revelation, keep our hope and trust in God.
Peter and Paul looked forward to the Eternal prize and that is how they kept going, with a good attitude, when it felt like they had lost all of their earthly comforts and relationships. Likewise, Christ endured the shame of the cross for the joys of our unification with Him eternally. He asks that you and I hold to this same view.
Job searched the world and found “There is no Arbiter” (Ch. 9) of any merit but God. At one point, he had lost hold of a good deal of his former faith in God as Just Judge. In the midst of his trial, Job had a hard time hearing from God and lacked the feeling of that Holy and Divine Relationship that often fed him through the difficulties of his former experience — these are called God’s blessings and we all want them.
However, God felt it necessary that Job learn the difference between God and God’s favor. Favor comes from God, but God is much, much more than what He can do for us.
In the process of this “learning”, Job was met with his own loop of excessive reasoning, round and round, going absolutely nowhere and yielding excessive complaint. All this was met with a stark but deafening silence from the God Who could resolve and relieve. In essence, God stepped away for just a moment, just out of view, and watched what sort of faith His child (Job) actually had in his Parent.
Job realizes all he owns and all he is is folly without God. He has no abilities independent of God and no other man on the face of the earth can help him. He realizes the spinning out of his mind, the emptiness of his heart and soul, the futility of his body to sustain him, the evasion of money and human ties, and he finally turns directly to God and asks, “Why (10:18)?” In summary, Job states, “You are the only One with all the control, authority, and power. There is no one higher than You. You alone are the only One Who could help me, the only One Who is ultimately responsible for it all. Why aren’t You helping me” (Ch. 12; paraphrase, author’s)? See the word “all”?
Only when we lose it all do we realize that GOD IS ALL.
Finally, Job finds his full dependence is not in riches, not in friends, not in the courts, not in being blessed. His full dependence is in God. In God alone Job must wait.
“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (Job 23:8–10, ESV).
In God’s decisions alone, we are all held captive, and we all must wait. Job realizes if God alone is ultimately responsible, ultimately in control, Job would do well to continue to hope in God’s goodness for there is no other course of action to take (13:15a). People literally kill their own souls when they stop hoping in God’s goodness, mercy and light, His REDEMPTION, which is epitomized in the Name and Blood of Jesus Christ. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you foundationally and eternally believe in God’s goodness in all thingsbecause you believe in Jesus. Therefore…
GOD DOES NOT CONDEMN YOU
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1, ESV).
After Job’s “lawsuit” is brought up against God, the resolution was found in God asserting His majesty and Job humbling himself in the pure awe of God (not in God’s blessings, but in God Himself). Once God and Job spoke again directly, the matter was immediately settled, and Job received a two-fold recompense simply because God is good (Job 42:10, ESV; Isaiah 61:7). Moreover, note how many millions of souls have read the Book of Job and learned from it, and garnered that essential hope from it that all of us Christians come to need at some point in our lives. For us today, the pattern is exact.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible reads:
Work together for good — They [Trials] shall cooperate; they shall mutually contribute to our good. They take off our affections from this world; they teach us the truth about our frail, transitory, and lying condition; they lead us to look to God for support, and to heaven for a final home; and they produce a subdued spirit, a humble temper, a patient, tender, and kind disposition. This has been the experience of all saints; and at the end of life they have been able to say it was good for them to be afflicted.[6]
The Word of God holds and it lasts, but for us to obtain any life or anointing or grace or personal truth from it, it must first of all be believed. If you love God, you will work with God, accept Christ as the Truth, and walk with Him throughout your life. Christ must be loved and wanted (He is your Husband) regardless of the strange courses or veering our life paths take.
ALL THINGS WORK OUT FOR GOOD
FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD
AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSES
When we believe this, we can easily cast our cares upon the Lord and BELIEVE He is for us, not against us. God is good. Jesus loves you. The Holy Spirit leads you incredibly well.
In all of these passages, it becomes evident that God has sat us down, ahead of time, and told us what was coming. It is difficult, however, when it actually happens and we realize every jot and tittle comes true in our case. And we would say, yes, to our Maker’s question above, “Are you with Me, My beloved wife?” if we knew we were loved undeniably by Him. Even if we didn’t want to do the thing asked, in the method or place required, if we were loved, we would go with Him anywhere. He does love you, and this is what He wants. Your love for Him is being tested. Remember, it is the primary command:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37).
So pass your test and help Him help you. Together, you and Jesus will overcome all evil with good. Remain in awe of all of Him and it will all work out for you.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
