All Things Work Together..

It is easy for each of us to forget that, despite the unpleasant things that occur in our lives, God is at work in us and our circumstances.  He is working to bring glory to Himself and to fashion us so we can be used as His instrument.
     I have several friends and acquaintances who inspire me.  They are people who have trusted Christ alone for their salvation but whose lives, by most standards, is not easy.  They sometimes have physical challenges most of us would want to avoid.  Sometimes they have financial challenges or relationship problems.  Yet, in spite of everything, they continue to move ahead, trust God, and make the most of their lives.
     When the apostle Paul penned Romans 8:28, he was absolutely confident that the God who had begun a good work in him, would continue it and complete it.  That often-repeated passage is not meant to be a detour around our difficulties but a reminder that God can take all the parts of our lives (good and not-so-good) and work them all into a pattern of good.  The good of which the apostle speaks is good as defined by our Sovereign Lord.  Ultimately, only God knows what is good and bad.  Our calling, as believers, is to trust Him rather than rush to judgment about what is best for us.
     Of one thing I am confident: Jesus does all things well.  I don't have to have an explanation for everything that happens in life.  I do have to trust Him.