And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).
A skilled surgeon, about to perform a delicate operation on the ear, said reassuringly to the patient, "I may hurt you, but I will not injure you." How often God speaks to us in the same way! More abundant health and life, even eternal life, are His only purpose; but it is often hard for us to see it in the hour of trial, temptation, and suffering.
"All things work together for good to them that love God," but all things are not necessarily for good in themselves. The good and the evil, and the good and evil together, work for good to them that love God and are in His providence. The good may be immediate or far off, but it is God's good in God's own time.
We find this lesson in the old story about the gravel walk and the mignonette. "How fragrant you are this morning," said the gravel walk.
"Yes," said the mignonette, "I have been trodden upon and bruised, and it has brought forth all my sweetness."
"But," said the gravel walk, "I am trodden on every day, and I only grow harder."
Two characteristics of believers are given here: one, their feelings toward God; the other, God's feelings toward them.
To those who love God, all things work together for good. It must be so, for love works no evil (Rom. 13:10). And "to them who are the called according to his purpose," all things find some way, often unknown to us, of working together for our good. It must be so, for He of whom and through whom and to whom are all things (Rom. 11:36) would never suffer His eternal purpose to be thwarted by anything really adverse to us.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "I will be glad and rejoice in thee" (Ps. 9:2).
A skilled surgeon, about to perform a delicate operation on the ear, said reassuringly to the patient, "I may hurt you, but I will not injure you." How often God speaks to us in the same way! More abundant health and life, even eternal life, are His only purpose; but it is often hard for us to see it in the hour of trial, temptation, and suffering.
"All things work together for good to them that love God," but all things are not necessarily for good in themselves. The good and the evil, and the good and evil together, work for good to them that love God and are in His providence. The good may be immediate or far off, but it is God's good in God's own time.
We find this lesson in the old story about the gravel walk and the mignonette. "How fragrant you are this morning," said the gravel walk.
"Yes," said the mignonette, "I have been trodden upon and bruised, and it has brought forth all my sweetness."
"But," said the gravel walk, "I am trodden on every day, and I only grow harder."
Two characteristics of believers are given here: one, their feelings toward God; the other, God's feelings toward them.
To those who love God, all things work together for good. It must be so, for love works no evil (Rom. 13:10). And "to them who are the called according to his purpose," all things find some way, often unknown to us, of working together for our good. It must be so, for He of whom and through whom and to whom are all things (Rom. 11:36) would never suffer His eternal purpose to be thwarted by anything really adverse to us.
MEDITATION PRAYER: "I will be glad and rejoice in thee" (Ps. 9:2).
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