All Things Are Working

Romans 8:28 The Message (MSG)

28 That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Have you ever questioned the meaning of your life in the heat of a battle? I have many times. During some battles, I’ve had some degree of clarity. On the other hand, it took me much longer to see how the Lord was working. One thing for sure is that God certainly has a plan for my life. Although that plan hasn’t always been clear, it has forced me to stand firm on what I know about the nature of God. I know that He is a loving Father and He is sovereign. I know that He has a set purpose for my life and that He is orchestrating every step I take towards fulfilling that purpose.

Yet, there are still days that I wonder and become anxious about the future. Last Wednesday, was one of those days for me. While looking for worship music, I came across a new song by one of my favorite worship writers, Pat Barrett. The song is called Clay and Canvas.

The chorus says:

You make all things work together,
For my future and for my good.
You make all things work together,
For Your glory and for Your name.

Immediately, Romans 8:28 came to mind. The more I played the song, the more my heart became encouraged. I was reminded that regardless of where I am right now and what I’ve been navigating through, God is working it all for my good. Let’s look at the keyword…ALL. The word all means “the whole amount, quantity, or extent of need”. There is no partiality in the word ALL. This means that everything, “the whole amount, quantity, or extent of need” of what has happened and is happening in my life is/was necessary for me to reach my full potential in God.

Another verse of the song says:

I know nothing has been wasted.
No failure or mistake.
You’re an artist and a potter.
I’m the canvas and the clay.

You see everything that we experience both good and bad is needed for us to fulfill our purpose. The enemy may have sent it to exterminate us but God worked it to empower us. This means that God is in total control and is working through every detail of our lives to ensure that His work is finished in each of us. What a great God! I love that God is very intentional and strategic. He knows what it takes to activate our faith and develop us. He knows just how much adversity and testing we need to become more like Him. The Father is like both the potter and the artist. From the beginning, they have a vision of what they want to create. During the process, they are adding, smoothing, removing, squeezing, pressing, and crafting their work of art until it reflects their vision. The Father is doing the same with us, His clay and canvas.

It’s true. Our tests are writing our testimonies. When I looked up the definition of testimony, it was defined as the “evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something”. This tells me that everything has to work out for our good because it has to serve as evidence or proof that our God exists and is ALL-powerful. The verse says every detail is worked into something good. Remember, nothing is wasted. Every struggle, failure, hurt, wound, and disappointment happened for a reason and was necessary. If you look back over your life, you will be able to see that every hardship you’ve endured has worked for your good and made you better. It’s so beautiful to reflect and recognize how the Lord was ordering your steps all along.

Take heart and know that your ALL will be ALL good in the end. Why? Because our Father said so.

Be blessed.

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