Click "Read More" for a Personal Reflection on the Sermon by Porfy Vidal



Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Almost at the end of the 8th chapter of the book of Romans, we read this verse that tells of how God is working through all of the events and circumstances in our lives – for our good. And while we read in the other books of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, of how many godly men and women triumphed over the varied trials and difficulties which God allowed in their lives, when we ourselves pass through some testing or when we go through our own troubles, there is almost always a time when we feel that we are alone. We feel forsaken.

Difficult situation. A trying moment. An agonizing hour. An unbearable day. A seemingly unending year. Or a decade of injustice.

No matter the duration, whether quickly passing or longstanding, nobody wants to be in a trying situation. Nobody would volunteer himself to be tested and subjected to unpleasant conditions. Nonetheless, nobody is exempt from suffering and pain. It is part of our earthly life to go through phases of diverse experiences that would later on shape the kind of person that we will be as we grow older.

If this be true in the natural world, then it is even more true in the spiritual world – especially for the believers, with God orchestrating all things – events, circumstances, situations, state of things – for our good.

Does this mean that God is preparing us to be a wealthy people, financially blessed, with barns overflowing, with bank accounts swelling – indications that indeed testify of God’s arranging and rearranging all things for our “good”?

While financial abundance is one way of God’s blessing us, He is more concerned of our character and our preparedness for eternity.

Does it mean therefore that “all things” that come our way is God-ordained?

Genesis 20 tells of the story of Abraham and Sarah, that when they journeyed to Negeb, and they resided in Gerar, Abraham was afraid of being killed in a land where ‘there is no fear of God’ – and he lied about Sarah his wife, and told Abimelech the king, ‘She is my sister.’ God protected Sarah from the king, and as an act of restitution, king Abimelech gave Abraham sheep, oxen, male servants and female servants, and restored to him Sarah his wife. Because of that, Abraham became rich, or, he was made richer. But certainly, it wasn’t God’s will for Abraham to lie!

Job’s story is another example of God’s blessing His children materially. But as Job learned, when he lost all of his properties and possessions, and all his children were killed, and even with his wife telling him to forsake God and stop believing in Him, “the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away” – that God’s blessing is not alone, and not primarily, material wealth. How proud God must be with Job, that “in all of this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” (Job 1:22)

We see a lot of people, including many of us, who forget God in the good times, and when the bad times come, we immediately point the finger to Him, and blame Him for our misfortune. But is it God who subjects us to the unpleasant situations, or is it our own mistakes and wrongdoings that brings us bitter experiences?

The book of 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12 tells of king David’s presumably ‘secret sins’ about Bathsheba, leading to the death of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, then later on, the death of the child born of David and Bathsheba. David was accused of murder for Uriah’s death, and of taking his wife. When David repented of his sins, God forgave him, but he wasn’t spared from the consequences of his sins. David, his family and their succeeding generations all became partakers of the results of his mistakes. If David can only see the effects of his wrongdoings to the full extent, he may have thought twice, perhaps.

And yet we also learn that after David’s ‘punishment’, God’s favour was restored to Him.
From the stories of these men in the Old Testament, we see that while there are circumstances that God ordains and sends our way, there are situations and conditions that we fall into, caused by none other but by us.

So whether a Christian is rejoicing or mourning, being abundant or in want, being healthy or suffering from an infirmity – in whatever situation – God is working in the believer’s behalf, shaping and perfecting his character, increasing his Christlikeness, ready for the fulfilment of His plan in him.

Is it necessary for us to go through suffering for God to perfect our character? Can He not work on us in the pleasant situations alone?

Here is how it is illustrated by Joe Stowell in his Strength for the Journey Digest, dated January 4, 2008:

In Cornwall, England, you can visit a place called The Eden Project. The Eden Project attempted to build the perfect environment in which plants and trees could flourish. Obviously named for the Garden of Eden, this collection of “biomes,” huge domes, provide a tightly monitored atmosphere with a perfect temperature range and humidity. There are no insects and there is no pollution. What more could a tree want?

But there was a problem.

After this wonder of science was built, the scientists on the project noticed something strange. The leaves on the big trees were beginning to wilt and the branches were starting to droop. Puzzled, they consulted a tree expert. After studying the situation, he reported, “Your problem is that there is no wind in the environment. It’s the wind that pushes and moves the tree fibers forcing the nutrients and moisture to be drawn up from the ground. Trees need the stress of the wind or they won’t thrive!”

How much is that like our lives? A lot!

Given a choice, we would construct our own little “Eden Project” around our homes, our families, our dreams, and our futures. In our bubble, we would have just the right emotional climate—a controlled and restricted atmosphere where we could click the delete button keeping out unwanted news and pain. Trouble would be carefully filtered before it could reach us, keeping us well protected from the “pollution” of suffering and heartache. In our dream world, we would no doubt think that designing this stress-free environment would provide a spiritual climate in which we could thrive!

Right? Well, not really.

James points out that our lives need a little “wind” if we are going to grow and mature. In fact, we are called to choose an attitude of joy in the face of life’s storms, trusting by faith that God is going to use them to help us grow. James says that the trials you and I face, whatever shape they take, test our faith. They are there to reveal whether or not we really believe the things we say we believe on Sunday mornings at church. Do we trust that God is good all the time? Do we really believe that His faithfulness is great and that His mercies are new every morning? Do we have the confidence that His faithfulness never fails and that He never bails on us when the storm clouds rise?

As your faith holds, strong perseverance—your ability to “hang in there”—enables you to stay faithful and steady in the face of the divine storm. And, as you patiently stay under the stress of the “wind,” God will make you “complete, not lacking anything.”

It’s the wind of life that stretches and presses the spiritual fibers of your heart to bring nourishment and vitality to your soul.

And, just in case you missed it, look back at the beginning of today’s passage. Did you catch it? James says, “Whenever you face trials,” not “if you face trials.” The storms of life are a given. And while these storms can be heart-wrenching, terrifying, and truly, truly dark at times, I am encouraged and reassured from Scripture to know that these trials are not random. They are yet another way that God is helping us grow, flourish, and mature. And if we understand that, then we can choose, by faith in our Father, to welcome His perfecting storm.

Indeed, that while we may not understand what is happening now, we can trust God, and we can entrust our lives to Him, who “works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

To God be the glory alone!