Blessed Hope Catechism (Q/A 15)

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“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Question 15: Is God in complete control of all things at all times?

Answer: Yes. He works all things all things for the good of those who love him.

This truth is found to most troubling to many who love God but struggle with the reality that he allows good as much as bad to happen. Is God the author of evil? Absolutely not! But he allows evil things to transpire. Why? So that good can happen to those who love him. That good in Romans 8 is the conforming to the image of Christ. In this we see that God’s glory is displayed when his people rely on him to overcome the bad things in life.

Throughout the history of Israel we see that God allowed bad things to happen so that Israel would turn back to him. We see Stephen get murdered in Jerusalem while preaching the Gospel so that some might believe. Who was in attendance at his death? None other than the Apostle Paul who wrote the Book of Romans.

You have undoubtedly had bad things happen to you or those around you. You have likely asked the question of why God would allow such a thing to happen. Without knowing what that thing might be, I encourage you to seek the Lord. See how you might use your pain to point you and/or others to the cross. How can God’s glory be found in the midst of our earthly troubles?

*This devotional is inspired by the Advent Christian Blessed Hope Catechism. You can purchase a copy of that catechism on Amazon.