May 18


Bad to Good


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

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)


A bad grade in college. A fiancé who decided she didn’t want to get married. The USAF airplane assignment I didn’t want. A son born with serious defects and years full of corrective surgeries. Career setbacks and being separated from wife and children for an entire year. Being out of work. These are just a few of the difficulties and challenges my life has produced.

Setbacks, problems, disappointments. My life has been full of them. Character building trials, some would say. What seemed unique to me, was not. The truth is, these things happen to people all the time. Maybe not all of them to any one person, but these things are common to many.

What impresses me most is this promise from God and the hindsight that he gives us. So often, we can look back and say, "Ah! That's why...." And even if we can't, we can trust God to know what he is doing. Only God can connect the dots. Only He can work these events to produce a “perfect” life. Perfect in the sense of performing His specific purposes. What a glorious truth! What a delightful realization: God has a plan and you and I are in it!

So what do we do? How do we apply the promise? This passage provides two way points for us to navigate on: love God and pursue His purposes. That’s it. When we do these, everything else comes together, and all the other things begin to make sense. Our lives have impact. They become bigger than us. They become what he designed them to become—good!


Heavenly Father, wow! Thank You for this great promise. Thanks for hindsight and the ability to trust You. You are so good ... please ... bring Your blessing in Your time. Amen.