Good Out of Bad — A LifeWords Devotion

Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good. (JBP)

We have lived long enough to accept that life throws a lot at us. Some of it good, some of it bad. It is pious nonsense to suggest that the ‘bad’ is really ‘good’. It is basic Christian belief to recognise that good can come out of the bad. It seems God does not promise us immunity from the bad, but rather promises to somehow salvage some good out of it.

Even so, we need to avoid misunderstandings. First, the good that may come may not come when we desire or expect it. God has a different time scale to us. Some will die before seeing the good outcome, as is the case of many Christians who have given their lives and, as a result, have made the world a better place.

Second, we need to let God define what is ‘good’. What I think might be good might not be God’s idea. I must not see this text as promising me some nice treat as a consolation for any pain I experience. God’s idea of good will likely go well beyond my own narrow personal comforts and wishes.

Third, this is not some sort of general promise to humankind. It is a promise for those who follow Jesus and seek his purposes. For such people, the promise is that whatever happens to us or in us God will be at work for good. It seems the arrangement he has with us is not to protect us from all bad things, but to make sure such things are not the last word. In our out-of-shape world, ‘bad’ is a reality but ‘good’ is the greater reality.

Blessings
David