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#DailyDevotion God Does Not Work All Things For Good For Everyone

#DailyDevotion God Does Not Work All Things For Good For Everyone

Rom. 828We know that God works all things out for good for those who love God, who are called according to His plan. 29Those whom He chose from the first He also appointed long ago to be thoroughly like His Son so He would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30Those whom He appointed long ago He called. Those whom He called He declared righteous. And those whom He declared righteous He glorified.

I got good news and I got bad news. The bad news is verse 28 is often misquoted in such a way that people, all people think God is going to work out everything good for them if that thing is initially bad. I’m afraid that is not the case. The good news is God is going to have all things work out for good for some of you.

And just who may God work out all things for good? Now when Paul says all things, he does mean all things. Nothing is excluded from all things. It really doesn’t matter how horrific the thing that is happening in your life God is able and willing and promise to make good out of it. Yes, God is that wise, intelligent, and powerful. That doesn’t take away from pain you may be going through now but it does give it meaning.

Now for whom does God do this? Those who love God who are called according to his plan. Who is it that loves God? Those who are called according to his plan. How do you know if you have been called according to his plan? Well you have to go back to chapter one, verse one and read everything back up to this point. It is those who have been convicted of their sin by the Law, who have been given the gift of repentance and faith, and who have been baptized into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus through baptism. Is that you? Then you can count yourself as one who loves God and called according to his plan. Is it not you? Then get on board with the program, repent, believe and be baptized!

Those whom God called according to his plan he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1) He chose you. He chose you to be conformed to the image of his Son Jesus Christ. Through the word and sacrament he is calling and conforming you into his image. Daily, as we waste away we are inwardly being renewed from one glory to the next. We are being made new in knowledge, holiness and righteousness through these two gifts of God. If we have been called (which baptism assures us we have been) then God has declared us righteous. He declares us righteous because of the work Christ has done for us on the cross. If we are declared righteous then we have the promise that we have been glorified in Christ Jesus.

Being chosen, called, declared righteous and being glorified are the good things God is working out in our lives through the evil that befalls us. Look at how such a thing was made possible—Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. It can’t get any more evil than Jesus’ innocent suffering and death. Yet through that God raised Christ from the death and declared the world justified. How much more then will God work through the evil in your life and raise you to eternal glory in Christ Jesus his son?

Heavenly Father, when we doubt may your Holy Spirit remind us of the calling we have in Christ Jesus to be your children and may the gift of baptism give us the comfort that you indeed have not only chosen us in time but before the foundation of the world to be in Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Rev. Guillaume J. S. Williams, Sr.

The Reverend Guillaume Williams is the Pastor of Hope Lutheran Chapel of Osage Beach, Missouri. His pastoral ministry with Hope began in 2005 where he preaches the Christ crucified.

Comments (4)

  1. This is a very hard one to swallow. So legalistic. I have been a member of the LCMS my whole life, baptized, confirmed and college educated through Concordia. But it is so hard to hear so many requirements for people to be declared God’s children. Guess I have been living in a world of denial. I consider myself to be called Called according to his plan, but I constantly am challenged being a member of the human race. I seek repentance daily and feel forgiven. For me to be a good witness, though I find it difficult to call someone out who does not meet all the above conditions.

    1. I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean by legalistic. Legalistic usually means giving more commands than God has given. Here are the requirements given in the devotion: “It is those who have been convicted of their sin by the Law, who have been given the gift of repentance and faith, and who have been baptized into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus through baptism.” Which of these has not our LORD Jesus Christ said we need to experience. Seriously, there isn’t much there that is not God’s work in our life through Word and Sacrament.

      So what conditions are you reading in this devotion that God has not said in his word? I reread the devotion and the whole thing is everything God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Please pray about it and read it again with the view of what God is doing in it. The Lord’s blessing be upon you.

  2. Im an older woman… Lutheran convert from Baptist upbringing…i don’t understand the controversy…of course I’m no theologian but this verse seems quite simple to me…i must be missing something.

    1. There are non Christians that try to appropriate this verse. It does not apply to them.

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