According to His Purpose

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for good for all those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.

Everyone has times in life when it seems things are not working together for good. We live in a time when we want the “good” right now, so when things are not going well, we may question God. “Why me, Lord?” is the question many of us ask when a job is lost, a family is torn apart by divorce, a loved one or oneself faces a medical crisis, any of the times when things seem far from “good.” God may seem very far away and not very attentive to human needs at that point.

However, Paul is not writing about the now or just me. When he addresses both Jews and Gentiles in the Book of Romans, he repeatedly reminds them (and us) that salvation through Christ is for ALL, no matter their previous beliefs or lack of belief.

As might be expected, conflict often arose among the early house churches in Rome. Some Gentile believers had developed a sense of superiority over Jews, possibly due to the expulsion of Jews from Rome by the emperor Claudius in 49 A. C., while many Jews questioned if God had rejected them. Was God really fair and just? Paul’s letter emphasizes God’s purposes for Jews, all of humanity, and His entire creation. The ultimate purpose of the entire book of Romans is to invite us to share in, and pass on, the Good News - conquering sin and death through salvation. Paul does not mean Christians should just wait patiently for death and salvation. We are meant to live our lives according to His purpose, to act on behalf of God by loving others, following the example of Jesus by caring for “the least of these,” and by sharing the message of hope.

While we all face times in this life when “all things are NOT working for immediate good,” we have the promise of the ultimate good to come: Eternal life in God’s presence.

Let us pray: God, we thank you for the ultimate gift of your Son and his death and resurrection. This gift assures us of salvation and eternal life with you. Only then may we understand how things did work together for good, even when we could not see it or understand it. Through faith alone may we be saved. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.