God’s promises.
In Romans chapter 8, Paul tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
And at the end of the chapter, he gives us one of the greatest and most comforting promises in all of Scripture: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What a wonderful, powerful promise, full of hope and assurance.
There is another.
Sometimes the things that happen just don’t make any sense at all. Sometimes we hurt and grieve and suffer, and we don’t know why. We do not see the good.
Yet at the same time, we believe the promise of God that in all things God works together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose.
Can we begin to understand this?
Sometimes life is like a tapestry, a weaving, a quilt. If you look at it from the back side, all you see is a confusing jumble of knots and threads and colours. It seems chaotic, without form or rhyme or reason.
But if you look at it from the other side, from the right side, it all comes together into a beautiful masterpiece of colour, design, and purpose.
In our humanness, in our limited vision and perspective, we see life from the back side. We don’t always see what God’s hand is designing and creating.
But one of these days we will.
And when that day comes, we, along with St Paul, will be able to say without doubt or hesitation: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”
These two promises are like anchors in this troubling and confusing world. These promises are our security, our comfort, our hope.