All things

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

I first was made aware of this verse way, way back in the autumn on 1976. I had only been saved a little while and didn't know much of the scripture. I had just transferred from Widener College in Chester, PA (where I was saved) to Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, TN. Back in those days students of the school had to go to Highland Park Baptist Church. The pastor of the church was Lee Roberson.

One of the things Dr Roberson preached that sticks in my mind after these 37 years is the story or Camp Joy. Camp Joy was a summer camp which was a ministry of the church. It was a free summer camp for the less privileged children of Chattanooga  It was a greatly used and blessed ministry, but what really impressed me was the back story to Camp Joy.

Many years before Dr and Mrs Robinson had lost their young daughter Joy in a terrible accident. At the time they were justifiably devastated. They wept and prayed and wondered why. One night the Lord showed them Romans 8.28 – ‘We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’

That gave them great comfort and out of that came the decision to start this summer camp ministry through which great numbers of boys and girls came to Christ.

I think any of us who have been saved any amount of time can identify. Though we may  not have lost a child, we can all look at back at times when we wondered how this could be any good. I look back at all kinds of situations on our lives where we just could not see the good, but in retrospect we can see how God has always worked it out for the good.

But this promise is not wide open. It is for those who love God and are His own.

We may not see it sometimes for years. In fact we may not see it in this lifetime at all. We may not see the goodness until we get to heaven because of our human mindedness. But we can be assured that all things will eventually work together for good.

Praise God for that precious promise.