We understand God can do the impossible, but could this be the one situation where He can’t? Before giving this idea any time to marinade, the answer is no. There is not one situation that catches God off-guard or where He goes, “Well, I don’t know what to do about this situation, so you are on your own!”
Whenever we face trials or unexpected struggles, someone always seems to remind us that God works all things out for our good. It’s to remind us to stay hopeful that things will get better in time.
But for many of us, after hearing this uplifting comment, we wonder, How could God make good from this situation? How could He make good from this cancer diagnosis, from this marriage complication, from this job loss, from this faith crisis? We understand God can do the impossible, but could this be the one situation where He can’t?
Before giving this idea any time to marinade, the answer is no. There is not one situation that catches God off-guard or where He goes, “Well, I don’t know what to do about this situation, so you are on your own!”
We will explore here two specific instances in Scripture when God has worked all things out for good, while also demonstrating the importance of having faith in difficult times, knowing God is there and will help us in every way to victory.
Working All Things for Good
When we think of the concept of God working all things out for good, we typically go to Romans 8:28, which clearly states this truth: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:29 elaborates more about this purpose God calls us to, stating, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
What these verses are saying is that before any difficult situation – or any situation at all for that matter – God already knew and planned what would be ahead for us and the good He would bring from those situations.
As stated before, nothing catches God off-guard because He knows the intricate details of all our lives, especially how certain challenges will work to strengthen us instead of robbing us of hope and blessing.
How could a difficult situation benefit us, you may ask? James 1:2-4 shares with us what we learn and gain when we hold onto our faith in God’s goodness during trials: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
So, when we endure trials, God’s blessing of goodness comes through in a few different ways.
Patience that is produced in us that builds strong character, faith, and resilience when the trail is complete. Basically, God’s gift of goodness is that we become better versions of ourselves as Christ followers when we stay the course and hold onto our faith. We don’t miss valuable lessons learned in this trial (to prevent having to repeat the trial), and we receive unexpected blessings that wouldn’t have been possible if we had given up and let the trial win.
How God Worked All Things Out for Joseph
There are countless stories in the Bible of God working impossible situations out for good, from the smallest to the largest. This demonstrates that no situation we face will be prevented from having a good outcome by God’s hand.
For example, the story of Joseph illustrates well God’s ability to change disastrous situations into outcomes that positively impact not only us, but those around us. For those unfamiliar with this story in Genesis, Joseph was one of several sons of Jacob and was considered his father’s favorite. Upset by their father’s treatment and Joseph’s arrogance, the brothers conspired to kill Joseph. But instead, they sold him into slavery and falsely told Jacob that Joseph was killed by animals.
Fast forward in his story. Joseph dealt with imprisonment, false accusation of rape, helping others only to be taken advantage of, and regular instances where his hopes for escaping his trials were dashed. However, Joseph continued to trust and rely on God, finally reaching a point of high authority under Pharaoh’s command. Soon after, he was reunited with his brothers and father who long thought he was dead.
After the passing of their father, Joseph’s brothers came to him asking for his forgiveness. Instead of exacting revenge against the years of trials and turmoil his brothers had caused him, Joseph explained how God had used these situations for good. “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).
Joseph reminds us that the actions of others, even if malicious, will be used by God for good to help us and others. Though his brothers wanted his demise and others took advantage of him, Joseph stayed faithful to God, believing He would help him through it all. And God did.
How God Worked All Things Out for Jeremiah
Another example of God’s capacity to turn difficult situations into something good is found in the story of Jeremiah, named “The Weeping Prophet.” Many may know of Jeremiah from his recognized words in Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
However, many may not be familiar with Jeremiah’s own story of persecution and rising above trials. In a nutshell, Jeremiah’s early calling as a prophet caused his family to reject him and even make plans to kill him. His call to follow God also led to him being attacked by a mob, thrown into jail, and even whipped and put into stocks.
Yet even with all that he dealt with for preaching God’s Word, Jeremiah remained strong in his faith. He believed God would bring good from his circumstances, and that he had to continue to share God’s Word. His words went on to inspire people years later to believe that God had good plans for their lives, bringing hope and peace for their futures.
What these men’s stories demonstrate to us is that no matter what life brings into your path, whether it is changes in health, family, job, or even your spiritual journey, God uses every difficult situation for good. Though they experienced unimaginable circumstances, God brought not only goodness to these men’s lives but continued to use their examples of faith to inspire others to believe God’s goodness during trials.
Can God Bring Goodness from My Trials?
It can be easy to read stories of hope in the Bible and think, That worked out for them but my situation won’t have a good ending or God won’t be able to bring any good from this situation. However, what these stories reveal is that if we don’t get caught up in the difficulties of the trial, if we believe God has a plan and that good will come from it, then God will strengthen us to get through the trial to the goodness He has promised.
The apostle Paul said it best in Romans 5:3-5 when sharing with the Romans what comes forth when we stay strong and hopeful in trials: “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Trials, uncertainties, and frustrations in life are never fun to experience, but if we remember the truth that God can bring good from any situation we go through, we can feel His strength rise up inside us. Keep hope alive and know that good things are coming!
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