Everything for Your Good

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy Of: Kenrick Mills

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28

As I sit down to write these words for my devotional this week, I do so with a heavy heart. As a military wife in a season like this one, my family is facing a lot of trials right now. My heart is daily grieving for the hardships, the heartache, and the struggles my military man is facing at this very moment, and it is all made harder by him being deployed as this is all going down. He (and, by extension, our family) is dealing with so much that it would be so easy for us to see no way out, to believe in no light at the end of the tunnel, to assume that this story will have no good ending.

But God.

Can I just say that that phrase is my very favorite one in all the English language? But God. The amount of hope wrapped up into that one tiny phrase cannot be overemphasized. It would be easy for our family to feel a real lack of hope right now (and there are moments when my husband battles that very feeling). But I would be remiss if I didn't also say that we truly do view this time as an opportunity to put feet to our faith and truly live out the hope in the Lord that we claim to have. 

And so that is exactly what we are doing.

We are remember the promise of Romans 8:28.

We are remembering how God went before Joseph and had a wonderful plan all along, even when life for him looked so unfair and hopeless.

We are remembering how Job's end was so much better than his beginning.

We are remembering how God, time and again, made a way when there was no way for the Israelites.

We are remembering how God sustained and protected Daniel and his friends when they purposed win their hearts to continue doing what was right, come what may.

We are remembering how God provided for two nearly destitute widows named Ruth and Naomi.

We are remembering how God sustained Paul and Silas even in the midst of beatings and imprisonments and used their time in prison in amazing ways and for amazing purposes.

We are remembering how God rescued His people through Esther, even when all hope seemed lost.

And we are remembering that we are but two more people in a long list of people (beginning all the way back in Genesis!) whose stories looked hopeless but weren't because of our great God.

Friend, I don't know what you are facing yourself right now as you read these words today. But I do know this: our God is trustworthy. He loves us. He is in control. He has a plan - one that is good, pleasing, and perfect. He has promised to bring good out of your circumstances because you are His beloved child - and He never reneges on a promise! 

So, take heart, dear sister, the Lord will work everything together for your good!