“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.” Psalm 76:10
In Romans 8:28, God promises us that he would work all things together for good. He would work it out, so that everything that came into our lives would be used for good. It doesn’t matter if we did something on accident or if we did it on purpose, it is all included in “all things.” “All things” even include those things that came into our lives that we had absolutely no control over. Then in Psalm 76:10, God promises us that he would even use the evil deeds done to us for good, and he would restrain the part of the evil that he could not use for good. If we just stood on these two promises alone, we would have the peace that passes all understanding knowing that God is in total control.
God has a plan for your life and you need to believe that everything that comes into your life, good or bad, is there because God gave it permission to be there. Knowing this, you need to endure problems with a good attitude. You should not ask God to remove the problem, but rather ask God to open your eyes to see what he is trying to teach you, because the sooner you learn what he is trying to teach you, the sooner the problem will go away or if it doesn’t go away, it will no longer bother you. Sometimes God lets problems into our lives to test us to see if we are really trusting him. Sometimes God lets problems into our lives to teach us to rely on him for answers. Sometimes God lets problems into our lives to teach us to be patient. Sometimes God lets a problem remain a long time to teach us to wait on him, because his timing is always perfect. Whatever the reason God has for letting problems come into our lives, we need to endure these problems with a good attitude trusting that God has a purpose for them.
The apostle Paul never asked God to remove the problems in people’s lives. He asked God to help the people endure their problems with a good attitude. Knowing this, we need to pray for ourselves and other people differently. We need to pray and ask God to help us endure problems with a good attitude and also to open our eyes to see what he wants us to learn.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4
We should not be surprised when problems come into our lives. We should never think that God is upset with us when problems come into our lives. God told us in his Word that we would have trials and tribulations.
“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” James 1:6-7
One day as I was looking over Romans 8:28, I noticed that it said, “we know that all things work together for good.” It didn’t say, “we know that all things work together for our good.” I pondered this for a few months until one day, God spoke this to my heart. He said that he did promise to work all things out for good, but sometimes it would not be for our good (at the moment), but for the good of others. But he also said that if the good was for others (instead of us at the moment), he would repay us by giving us double for our trouble.
“For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.” Isaiah 61:7
God gave us the ultimate example in Joseph’s life. God worked all things together in Joseph’s life for the good of Israel and after thirteen years, Joseph received double for his trouble. Joseph also endured his problems with a good attitude. In Genesis 37-41, God tells us the story of a young boy named Joseph. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He ended up in prison for a crime he did not commit, but through it all God was with him. The Bible says Joseph was a goodly man and well favoured. Wherever he went, he was favoured in the eyes of those he served. Then one day, Joseph stood before Pharaoh and because God revealed to Joseph not only what Pharaoh dreamt, but also the meaning of those dreams, Pharaoh made Joseph second in command under him.
“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled by his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 45:3-8
God had a plan for Joseph’s life and throughout all his trials and tribulations, Joseph trusted God knowing that God was with him. I think I can safely assume that our problems are much easier to endure than being sold as a slave to another country by our own brothers or being sent to prison for a crime we did not commit. But then Joseph’s breakthrough came, and so will ours. Endure your problems with a good attitude. Ask God what he wants you to learn. Ask God if there is anything you should be doing, but then go about enjoying your life, trusting that God is just working out his plan for your life and your breakthrough is just around the corner. Be ready, for you just might be standing in front of a Pharaoh one day.
This is the best day of your life, because God designed it just for you. Enjoy it and leave the rest to him.
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
