All Things For Good

“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

It’s one of the most hope-filled promises in Scripture and one of the hardest to understand. All things? That’s a bold claim. Because if we’re honest, we can name so many things around us that are anything but good.

Yes, the promise is for those who love God. But even those who love and follow him walk through pain, loss, anxiety, and seasons that don’t make sense.

This became very real for me several years ago in the midst of severe anxiety, depression, and suicidal struggle. I knew this verse. I could quote it without thinking. But there’s a difference between knowing a promise and trusting it when you’re struggling to simply get out of bed.

In that place, the question kept surfacing. Lord, how could you possibly be doing something good in this?

For a long time, I didn’t see an answer. Then I did.

My wife and I have seen the Lord use our struggle to bring encouragement and hope to others. So many people have shared that they feel less alone, less ashamed, and more seen by God because of what we’ve walked through. That kind of good isn’t what I asked for. Instead, I prayed for him to use it for good by taking it away completely and making it a thing of the past.

That hasn’t been how he’s worked.

Instead of removing the struggle, He has been redeeming it. Using it. Bringing life out of something that once felt like nothing but pain. It’s a different kind of good than what I had in mind. But it is good.

All things for good points to hope and redemption in the darkest of circumstances. Depression, anxiety, loss, betrayal, discouragement, brokenness, and even seasons that feel marked by despair are not outside his reach.

This isn’t shallow optimism or blind hope. It’s a steady confidence that the Lord rescues and redeems. That somehow, in ways we often can’t see at first, he brings good out of what feels unredeemable.

So maybe the next step isn’t figuring out how he’ll do it, but choosing to trust that he will.

I invite you to pray this today:

“Lord, you know how this can be used for good. I can’t see it right now, but I trust that you do. Have your way.”