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Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV)
This is a very familiar passage of Scripture to most believers — so familiar, in fact, that we are in danger of totally misinterpreting it.
What if God's purpose, at times, seems almost cruel in our eyes? That is when we must trust our Lord in His divine wisdom to fulfill this promise in a way that we never could have dreamed, "far more than we could ever ask for or imagine". (Ephesians 3:20 NIRV)
In February 2013, I was involved in a car accident that caused damage to the right side of my body. This included a whiplash, resulting in numbness in the fingers and thumb of my right hand, and badly torn ligaments on the outer side of my knee, resulting in being unable to walk without the help of a walker or a cane for over four months.
During this stressful time, different friends have kindly supplied me with meals, because I was unable to stand long enough to make my own. One lady offered to walk my dog three times a day, despite the fact that she had a serious heart condition and was always very short of breath. As the days grew into weeks, her breathing problems gradually began to diminish, to the point of her being able to breathe freely. She tells everyone she sees, that walking this dog has been such a blessing and that she is feeling much better.
During this time, I have had to keep my legs raised so that they would heal faster. As a result, I was able to work on my manuscript without any distractions.
In summary, had I not been injured, my friend would not have offered to walk my dog, and her health would have continued to deteriorate. I would have undoubtedly continued to take on too many responsibilities and would have felt anxious and pressured because I didn't have enough time to devote to my manuscript.
Did God plan it all? I don't think so, because He is not the author of evil. But He proved the truth of His promise in today's Scripture by working good out of my accident, and He showed me, once again, that what He says, He will do.
We talk a lot about believing in God's Word, but all too often, we seem to forget what that really means. I invite readers to pay careful attention to the number of times when we see God working seemingly bad things out for good in our lives. Each time we are aware of such an occurrence, no matter how small it may appear at the time, we will find the foundation of our faith being strengthened, which will in turn, greatly increase our trust in both God's wisdom and His Word.
Prayer: Father, thank You for providing us with opportunities to exercise the faith that we proclaim, thereby bringing glory to You. Amen.
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Good thoughts Sharon.
Good thought Sharon.
Thank you Sharon, for this poignant message.
Amen! Great message Sharon. I too have experienced the reality of Romans 8:28 in my life as the Lord has used adversity to bring about something good. To God be the glory – His promise never fails!
Dear Sharon;
Thank you for sharing a part of your journey with us. It is so true what you say. Have a wonderful day and keep writing!
Oh Sharon, isn’t God good to bring blessings from something as horrid as a car accident. I had no idea you were going through such things. May God honour your desire to write for Him. Your devotional blessed me this morning. Blessings.
Thank you for that wonderful Devotion. I concur with you in every detail.
We do have an awesome God who can take an uncomfortable situation, and make it shine.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
This scripture verse was something that my Mother clung on to, very tightly. My Dad was a very difficult person and her life was not an easy one. I could not possibly count the times my Mother quoted this verse to me. She has been gone for over 13 years but I still think of this verse in tough times.
Thank you for relating the devotion to something that I hold close to my heart.
Did God plan it all? I don’t think so, because He is not the author of evil.
I agree. God didn’t plan it all, but he allows time and chance to happen to all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11). When it does, he can make it work out for good (Romans 8:28), as you have witnessed in your own situation.
Great message in your devotional, Sharon.
Ms. Greer,
I had a similar experience a few years ago. I had a bicycle accident, breaking my dominant arm and fracturing 2 vertebrae in my neck. My loving mother-in-law immediately volunteered to come take care of me. After I no longer needed her to stay with us, she shared that it was a blessing. She had lost her husband and was seriously depressed. Taking care of me gave her a reason to get out of bed. I was grateful that God used me to help her and that God protected me from having much more serious injuries from my accident.
Thank you for sharing your writing gifts.
Hi Sharon: How is your health now? I loved your devotions and thought how true that walking is so good for you. God Bless you.
Dear Sharon Greer,
Yes, God means it: Romans 8:28.
I say Amen to your prayer too.
And I pray for your healing.
God showed me too that he was and is with me in spite of all; and He caused a wonderful coincidence because of it all working together.
Keep writing.