And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28
One of my favorite things to do is to read. I love getting lost in a good story, desperate to find out what will happen to the characters in my book, who have become like friends to me. In fact, I must confess that sometimes I will read the ending of books shortly after I start because I just can’t wait to find out how the story will end. I want to know that the story is going to be good. Maybe you can relate. Infinitely more significant than the books we are reading are the stories of our lives, and all of us want to know that our stories are going to end well. We particularly want to know that the stories of our suffering will bring about some good. For those of us wanting to know how these stories of our suffering and difficulties will be, we can take heart from God’s promise to us in Scripture. You see, the promise we have to claim from Scripture is that God can bring good out of every situation we face, even amid our deep suffering and heartache.
After writing about the suffering and trials that every single human faces here on this earth in Romans 8, the apostle Paul taught about the great hope that followers of Christ can have in the midst of our trials and suffering. He wrote these words, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (verse 28). What stands out to me in this verse is the word “everything.” There is nothing that God will not work together for good. He can bring good out of every situation, even our suffering. We were reminded during the weekend message that two of the good things God does during our suffering are that He sharpens our character and He uses our pain to draw people to Christ. Both of these things God does are essential. We want God to help us to grow and become more like Him, and we, of course, want people to draw nearer to Him so that they will experience a relationship with Him and eternal life with Him one day.
Make no mistake, our suffering is not good, but God can bring good out of it. God can use our trials, pain, and hardships to make us more like Him and to make Him known to the people around us. This includes the suffering and trials you are currently walking through. Your situation may not be good, but the promise you have to claim today is that God will bring good from it.
The truth that God can bring good out of every single situation is something worth celebrating. Make plans to celebrate this remarkable truth and worship with us at one of our weekend services. As you praise God, praise Him specifically for how He has walked with you and brought good out of every single situation you have walked through, even your pain.
“God, as I hold on to the truth that You will bring good out of my suffering, guide me…”
Romans 8:18-30
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
