Mark spoke from Romans 8:28 TNIV tonight, using the idea of a Scrabble game to look at how God is working all things together for good to those who love God.
Paul wrote this verse originally to the church in Rome, but we are included in this promise. ‘All things’ includes absolutely everything that happens in our lives, even those things that seem to us to be anything but good!
Our lives are not a series of random accidents, thrown together carelessly, but God is carefully working all things together.
God works things together for good (notice the word ‘God’ is on a triple word score to remind us of the Trinity!). This promise is for those who love God.
We are individually called and chosen by God (see Eph 1:3-4 TNIV) and His purposes for our lives and for the world will prevail. God’s plan is for people to come back to Him and we can be involved in that plan! It may well require faith to believe this verse, for life often looks more confused than clear to us, but by faith we realise that God is working all things together for good to those who are called according to His purpose.