"ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD"

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

    This Bible verse has been misunderstood and misapplied by many sincere believers. When things have not worked out good for them, they have wondered if they were to blame for not loving God enough, or it has become their first step in doubting the Bible altogether. Sometimes things do work out for our good, and that seems to vindicate the first part of this verse. We have to acknowledge that this verse has three important caveats.
     The first one is that only God knows fully and perfectly what is good. A person may want a certain job, a certain man or woman as spouse, a house, a car, recognition. These are things that are good in our eyes. God sees all things clearly; He knows the future; He can see into the heart as we cannot. He may see that what we want would be good for us and move everything in place so we can get it. He may see that what we want will not be good for us, and He will block the way.
    The second warning is that what we want may take away some of our love for God. If it can make us happy, satisfied, secure without daily depending upon God, it is understandable that God will not let us have anything that will jeopardize our love for Him.
     Third, in the purposes of God, you may not be the one God has called to fill that job, to have that person as spouse, to own that car or house, or to be given recognition. He may have chosen someone else for those things. If He has, they would not ultimately be your good things. If God has chosen someone else for those good things, He has something else for your good.
      What God has for your good may not appear to be good in human vision. God’s good for you may be poverty, pain, and constant disappointments. If you will serve God, as a living sacrifice, thanking Him always for what He has chosen for you, you will be earning what is the best – “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward.”