Day 3 - Week 34 - Romans 8:28 "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God; those who are called according to His purpose."

I usually read through the commentary that Robert J. Morgan includes in his book, "100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart", and think there's some pretty good stuff there, but I usually have some thoughts of my own that I want to add to his, or expound upon his thoughts in a little different vein.

For this verse, though, I find that everything that he has included is so powerful, so beautifully written, that I'm not sure there will be anything that I can add that would be of any more importance.  (Now I do reserve the right to change my mind on that over the next several nights...I am certainly not saying that I'll be able to keep my mouth...or I guess I should say fingers...silent.  It has never been my nature!)

Tonight I want to share a paragraph from his notes and then a quote by John A. Broadus that Morgan also includes.  First, the paragraph written by Morgan:

Romans 8:28 is the favorite verse of millions around the world.  It's arguably the greatest promise in the Bible, for it summarizes all the others.  It's the biblical basis for optimism and the promise that morphs us into resilient sanguines, whatever our temperament.  It's God's darkroom in which negatives become positive.  It's His situation-reversal machine in which heartaches are changed into hallelujahs.  It is the foundation of hope and a fountainhead of confidence.  Even our failures can become enriching, and our sins can be redeemed.  Even death itself becomes a blessing for the child of God.

Wow! I need to read that paragraph every day along with the Scripture...how can you not have a good attitude about life when this promise is yours.  How can we not look at life differently than those without faith, those without hope, those without a Savior who promises that He is working everything to good on our behalf.  I love my God who cares so much for me that He is not letting one little thing (notice, it does say "ALL" things) slip by to cause me discomfort without it also bringing an eventual bigger blessing.  How can we not surrender our lives to God when this is our promise?

Now, here this beautiful quote from John A. Broadus.  (I feel I always need to give some background on the person I'm quoting to make it a bit more meaningful.  John Broadus was a Southern Baptist minister in the mid to late 1800's.  In fact, for a time he served as the chaplain to the Confederate Army in Virginia.  From 1870 to 1893 he wrote seven books of Bible commentary and sermon delivery.)  I can look at his picture and almost hear him saying these words with a rich Virginian drawl....

We cannot fully understand now, but when we stand upon the heights of glory, we shall look back with joy on the things we have suffered, for we shall know then that our severest trials were a part of the "all things" which worked together for eternal good.

There it is...the hope of glory...the faith that assures us that there will be a time when we will see our lives in the eternal perspective that God has always seen them.  Until then, we hold on to His promise.