Dave spoke tonight from Romans 8:28-39, some of the most encouraging verses in the whole BIble. We live in a dangerous world (where terrorism, climate change, politics and numerous other threats cast a shadow over our daily lives), but for those who are older, there is remembrance that this has always been the case (the challenges may have changed, but the winter of 1947 was dramatically cold; the Cuban missile crisis and Cold War following the 2nd World War and other political instability all indicate that life always has its ups and downs!) We tend to like our security blankets of routine, family, friends, health and money, just as Linus was never to be found without his blanket!

It doesn’t take long for us to realise, however, that bad things happen in this life, and we find it difficult to beleive that God really can work for the good in everything that happens to us. If we are realistic, we know that death, divorce, sickness, financial loss and abuse can easily rock our world and leave us feeling insecure and afraid. Yet Paul, in writing these words, also knew trouble and difficulties (see 2 Cor 11) and was not naive about these difficulties. He could write about the good God was ultimately working in every situation because he lived by faith and not by sight. We need to understand that life is rather like a tapestry: we don’t see the finished side yet, but are looking at it from the back, with all the confusing knots and apparent chaos.

Our part is not to sit back passively and adopt a fatalistic attitude that what happens will always be the right thing. We are called to fight injustice and to be the answer to so many of the world’s problems as we allow God to touch our hearts and move us to action. We can only do this confidently, however, if we understand that our lives are in God’s hands and His hands are working all things out for good. No matter what happens to us in 2018, we can be sure that God is there, right in the midst of it, working for good, and if our long-term confidence is that nothing can separate us from His love, then we will move forward with hope and confidence.