A Depth of Insight

's All Good! You might have seen the beer commercial on TV. Two guys are just finding their seats in the nose-bleed section at an NBA game. Then, someone trips and spills drinks all over them and their seats. An usher sees the situation and stops to check on the mess and mitigate an expected outburst of anger and recriminations. But instead of finding two irate guys indignant and making a scene, he finds something else entirely. Though startled by their condition, the young men laugh at their predicament and one says “It's all good!” No problem! No worries! Surprised, the usher nods, and considering these fans' extraordinary goodwill, makes a decision. He smiles too and says “Come with me.” The usher leads the two down to the arena floor and puts them in court-side VIP seats! What started out as a disastrous precursor to a wet, sticky and uncomfortable outing has turned into an extraordinary once in a lifetime experience. “It's all good!” A new pop-culture catch phrase. But, thinking about it, shouldn't this be a catch phrase for every Christian! For me, it has replaced one of my long time 'One-Liners' from God. Every time I experience or witness an 'Oh no!' situation, “It's all good!” rings loud and clear in my mind. Yes, I know it's a beer commercial. But every time I see the ad, the Holy Spirit reminds me that “It's all good!” is just a paraphrase of Romans 8:28. See? Right there. God even uses a beer ad for good! Paul's familiar promise to the Romans was one of my first 'One-Liners' from God. “All things work together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.” While still a young Christian, God wrote this passage on my heart during a season of spiritual insecurity. I had been studying Paul's epistle to the Romans and Chapter 8 had just stopped me cold. I came face to face with the question of predestination and election. I was gripped by the fact that everything works for my good when, starting with this verse, Paul raised the issue of being called by God to His purposes. In the following lines, he wrote of those God has predestined. The thought that popped into my mind was “have I been predestined and elected by God to receive the promise? Or to be a brother to and joint heir with Jesus? But what if I haven't?” Over time, I came to know that it is God's will that all will have eternal life ; that all are called for His purpose . I do love God and I know without question that I am called to serve Him. Therefore, I am assured that the promise and the hope applies to my life! In that very process, God demonstrated to me the reality that “all things work together for good.” The Holy Spirit used the doubts and fears generated by my worldly logic to bring me a greater revelation of who He is. Today, I have peace, assurance, and security because this process helped me to know who I am. God is the very reason that I am alive. He is my purpose! Truly, in Christ I live and have my being. I now know that all that He is and does comes out of His Love. All things are based in this truth. Therefore, all things are good for me because God loves me completely and faithfully. And so started His frequent reminders that “all things work together for good ...” Before we get too far into this, be reminded that good is always determined at a spiritual level and not by physical possessions or circumstances. Whether our lives are good or not isn't determined by worldly standards. While we are assured of prosperity, it is prospering in Christ that matters. This prosperity might involve worldly riches or it might require poverty. It is usually somewhere in between. So remember, everything outside God's measure of goodness is just worldly vanity. There is nothing that God can't or won't redeem for the glory of His Kingdom. This is how and why all things work together for good. It is in redemption that loss, pain, and suffering are turned to joy! Not just sometimes, but ALL the time. There is power and action in that word 'work!' The work of redemption might involve miraculous reversal of physical conditions and it might not. But good is always the end result. Whether or not I am restored in kind as Job was , God always restores my loss with more. God often removes things from me (which I used to think of as loss) in order to replace them with something better and more profitable. When I expect His goodness to come from everything and everywhere, it always does! Whether it be crippling disease or abundant health, dysfunctional relationships or loving family and friends, life or death, abundance or need, I experience His Grace and discipline . Whenever I depend on Jesus' Grace to guide me, in calamity or good times, I become a more effective part of His Body. The faith He has given me is sufficient for fulfilling His purposes in and through me. All things are not only possible but profitable because I love Him and live in Hope.