During the weekend message, we were encouraged by the truth that the pain that we face is never wasted. Even in our darkest, most difficult times, God can and will bring good out of our pain. Even amidst our deepest heartaches and struggles, God is working and can bring good. This, my friends, is the hope we can hold on to when we face uncertainties, disappointments, or heartaches.
The apostle Paul taught readers that God brings good out of the most difficult situations that we face in Romans 8. He wrote in this passage of Scripture, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (verse 28). Two things immediately stand out after reading this verse. The first is Paul's confidence. He did not begin this verse by saying, "We think…" Instead, he wrote, "We know…" Paul expressed here a deep confidence that God brings good out of all situations. The second thing that stands out from this verse is the word "everything." Paul did not say, "God causes some things to work together." He said, "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God." The word "everything," of course, is all-inclusive. There is nothing in life that we will face that God will not bring good out of. Our situations may not be good, but God can bring good out of those not-good situations.
The apostle Paul experienced the truth that God brings good out of all situations, even the most difficult ones. One example of this can be found in Acts 16, which recounts a time when Paul and fellow missionary Silas were brutally beaten and placed in prison. Instead of worrying and being fearful, Scripture tells us that Paul and Silas sang praises from their prison cells (verse 25). Then, God caused an earthquake that shook the prison's foundation so intensely that "all the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off" (verse 26). When the jailor woke up and saw the prison doors open, he panicked because he thought that all of the prisoners had escaped. When Paul told him that all the prisoners were there, the jailor brought Paul and Silas out and asked them, "What must I do to be saved?" (verse 29). That day, this jailor and his whole family were saved. Indeed, God brought good out of their very bad situation.
Still today, God always brings good out of our bad situations. That does not mean that the circumstances we face are good or that they will all work out exactly as we hope. It means that He is always at work, bringing hope, peace, and healing, even in situations that may not always feel good. Turn to Him today.
Write out Romans 8:28 in your journal, a notebook, or even a blank sheet of paper. As you write out the words in this verse, reflect on the truth that God works everything, and I mean everything, for good, even our trials and storms. After you finish writing this verse, pray. Thank God that He can take the worst circumstances and bring good out of them.
1Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, 3 so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
35 The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” 36 So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”
37 But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”
38 When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. 40 When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.
