All Things Work Together for Good

How could all things possibly work together for good? You've probably read that scripture and wondered about that. How could all things possibly work together for good? All things covers a lot of ground, doesn't it? For example, we could personally be born into a life of luxury. Or perhaps we could be born into poverty. Extreme poverty. We could be born into a loving home with two loving parents. Or we could be born into no home at all. We could end up in an orphanage at a very early age. We could be an only child. Or we could be one of a dozen. We really don't know exactly what's going to happen in life. We could be handsome. We could be pretty. Or not so much. We could be tall like me. Or short like Craig. Yeah, right. We could be short or tall or somewhere in between. Or we could be a midget. We could be born a midget. We could be great at sports like Jay Ledbetter. He tells me he's the best volleyball player. I shouldn't say that about Mr. Ledbetter. He did tell me that, though. Not in the whole world. He wasn't really bragging. He was actually being very humble when he told me he was the best player. Okay. So all things really does cover a lot of ground. You could be a really great ball player. You could be uncoordinated and have difficulty hitting a ball. Certainly not like some major league baseball players that can hit a 100 mile an hour fastball over the fence.

All things do cover a lot of ground. So how could all these different things I mentioned possibly work together for good? Well, first of all, I don't think it's talking about trivial things when it says all things work together for good. So we can eliminate a lot of stuff right there. It's not talking about trivial things. It is talking about more important issues in life. And I would say that all things could not possibly work together for good unless the person they were happening to is one who was called by God according to his great purpose.

That's also a part of the Scripture. It doesn't just stop at all things work together for good, but it says all things work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to his purpose. So the Scripture also mentions good. It works together for good. It doesn't say it works together for best. That's another aspect to this particular verse. I guess you know which verse I'm talking about, right? Romans chapter 8 verse 28, all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

By the way, I thought it would be several years before Mr. Sweat got to Romans 8. So I thought I'd be safe. You'll forget this sermon by the time he gets there. So this Scripture is, I feel, one of the most thought-provoking Scriptures in the Bible. All things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to his purpose. What exactly does this verse mean? That's what we're going to talk about today in the sermon.

Sometimes it is difficult to believe that this Scripture means what it says. But truly, all things, even the bad things that come around in our lives, they do work together for good. When we love God and when we are called according to his purpose and when we realize what he's doing and why we're here on this earth in the first place and what the big picture really is. So I believe it is very, very important to understand what this verse is saying, what it isn't saying.

It's a very important verse. Having faith in God through all of our trials, through all of our hardships, is a vital lesson that we must all learn and we must learn to apply it in our lives and learn to live by it. Because bad things do happen to good people, bad things happen to God's people. So let's consider this verse more carefully, more closely today.

Let's consider some of the context. Let's go to Romans 6. And Romans 6, 7, and 8 are verses... those three chapters, I typically go through all of them verse by verse when I'm doing baptismal counseling because they have so much wonderful information in regard to our calling, what God is doing in our life.

So, and I know I'm not the only one, I know a lot of ministers, probably just about everyone, spends a good bit of time in Romans chapter 6, 7, and 8 when they're counseling someone for baptism. Now in Romans chapter 6 verse 18, Romans chapter 6 verse 18, it says... that's not what I wanted. Oh, it's Romans.

Let's go to... well, let me just say that Romans chapter 6 is called the baptism chapter. It says a lot about baptism. It talks about surrendering to God. It talks about being a slave of God. It talks about the wages of sin and what sin brings to all of us. Chapter 7 continues the theme. It talks about God's law, how it's holy, how it's just, how it's good. It also talks about wretched men and women who have difficulty keeping the law perfectly. In fact, none of us keep the law perfectly.

Paul asked the question, oh, wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me from this body of death? And he says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, because it is through Jesus Christ. It's through His sacrifice for us. It's through the love of God the Father and Jesus Christ that we might be saved.

And then we go into chapter 8, where we find the verse that we're talking about today, Romans 8, verse 28. But let's notice 1st Romans 8, verse 18. Paul says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

So this verse is talking about an overall approach toward life that we all need to have. It's talking about a vision that we all need to have. We need to be able to look forward into God's Kingdom. We need to realize that there is a glory that God is creating in each and every one of us, as we are to become like Him ultimately. And it's not, you know, it's really not worthy, the things that we suffer today, even though they're catastrophic in many cases, they're horrendous from a physical standpoint, but they're all very temporary.

And God's way is eternal, and God is giving us eternal life. So we have to always have this overall concept when things happen to us, no matter what happens to us.

We have to try to look at that in the backdrop of eternity and what God is doing and what He's creating. Notice verse 19, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans in labors with birth pangs together until now. This entire creation is groaning because of the sins of mankind, because of Satan's sin, and those who followed Satan and his rebellion. But there's something much better that's coming in the future.

So we do need to always keep that in mind and remember that all things work together for good if we truly love God, if we're called according to His purpose, and if we are always taking that into account as we deal with whatever life brings us. Now, I would submit to you that it is an attitude of thankfulness and gratefulness that makes all the difference in the world in regard to how we face life challenges, how we face the hardships that life brings us, and the trials. There really is so much to be grateful for, even in the midst of the most horrendous trials. And we have to really try hard to remember those things and to keep our mind focused on whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely and of good report and have virtue.

And that's a real challenge when life is being very, very difficult, when it's being very hard.

So, we might ask ourselves, how thankful are we when difficult things happen in our lives? Do we remember all the wonderful good things that God does allow or bring to us blessings that He gives us? We should always be asking how we can become more thankful for the things that God does in our lives. It makes a huge difference. Having a genuine attitude of thankfulness will truly help us through every trial. So, I would like to share four important principles in regard to Romans 8.28 that will help us have a more grateful, thankful attitude toward whatever comes our way. And the first thing is that we do need to understand that ultimately all things come from or are allowed by God, even the bad things.

God certainly allows them, even if He isn't bringing them about, and God doesn't bring many bad things about. They just happen. Time and chance happens to everyone.

Just many things contribute to why we might be having hardships and difficulties and trials but God is ultimately in charge. And it is very important to understand that and realize that.

We know that Satan is presently the God of this world, but that's a little G.

He's the God of this world in one sense, but God with the big G, the Eternal God who inhabits eternity, the one who created Lucifer, He is over all things. He's over this vast universe.

Again, He inhabits eternity. God does not do evil, but He has allowed evil for His overall purpose, of expanding His family for all eternity. So God is in the process of building a family from those who have been made in His image and in His likeness. He is in the process of building godly character in human beings. And hardships are part of what He uses to do that. Trials and hardships, difficulty. Just as in a physical life, if we want to develop muscles physically, then there has to be some physical resistance. We have to put ourselves through some pain, generally, if we're going to develop muscle. It doesn't just happen. It comes through resisting. It comes through hard work. And the same thing is true with spiritual muscle or spiritual character. It's developed through spiritual resistance and also submission. Those two elements there are spiritual resistance, but also submission. Character is built by submitting to God and by doing His will. When we know what to do, what's right and what's good, and then we do it, we choose to do that which is right. We are developing that spiritual character in our lives.

When we know what's right and we choose to do that which is wrong, we're not building character. We're actually tearing that down.

So these choices that we make in life are very important. Also, when we submit to God's will in our lives, we are building spiritual character. So submission is also very important. We have to resist Satan. That's what the Scripture tells us. Resist Satan and he will flee from us. There are temptations that come our way. We have to resist those.

And at the same time, we submit to God's will. And we do that which is right in His sight.

When we resist Satan, then we are overcoming that carnal nature, that fleshly nature that wants to go the way of this world. It wants to follow the God of this world.

Now, Job was an interesting person and his example in the Bible is certainly very thought-provoking. If you studied the book of Job, you know exactly what I'm saying.

Job had a lot of trials, didn't he? He had a lot of hardships.

But at one point, he had tremendous blessings and riches and family and everything. He had everything going for him. But everything fell apart. In his case, it wasn't because he had sinned.

In fact, the reason everything fell apart for him is because Job was the most perfect and upright man there was on the earth, according to the Scriptures.

Let's go to the book of Job for a moment. Job chapter 1.

Job chapter 1 verse 8.

Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth? This is what God is saying to Satan. He's a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God and he shuns evil. Of course, Satan answered and said, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him?

God had given him great blessings. Things were going well for him.

So Satan says, Take away the hedge and see what happens.

Of course, for the most part, Job stood that test, didn't he?

In Job 1 verse 21, After everything had been taken away from him, his entire family had been taken away from him. All of his riches had been taken away from him. His home had been taken away from him. He says in verse 21, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the eternal the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

So he continued to worship and bless God and even thank God through his trials.

It says in verse 22, In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrong.

So what an example Job has set for all of us. When bad times hit us, we should remember this example of Job and realize that Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be God's name.

In Job chapter 2, verse 10, and this was after his wife had done probably what many of us would have done. Because Job's wife lost all of this too. She lost her family, she lost the riches, she lost her home, she lost it all. And she said to him, Do you still hold fast to your integrity, curse God and die? But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks, shall we indeed accept good from God? Yes, we'll take the blessings and we're grateful for the blessings, and shall we not accept adversity? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

So, Job had an amazing attitude and approach toward suffering.

And we see that the Apostle Paul had similar spiritual insight in 2 Corinthians chapter 12.

If we'll go to 2 Corinthians 12, we'll see that Paul had a thorn in his flesh that he wanted to be rid of. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, he went to God a number of times asking God to remove this thorn in the flesh, whether it was his eyesight, poor eyesight, we don't know, it could be.

There are indications that that could easily be what he was struggling with.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 8, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 8, Is that what I want? Yes, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 8.

Concerning this thing, this thorn in the flesh, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities. I take pleasure in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses. For Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong. It speaks to an attitude, it speaks to an approach toward our trials and to our problems that come along. When we respond properly to these trials and these hardships, then we are certainly made stronger. And the example that we set is a very important one. People see the example that we set. And it speaks to us. And it's a good thing to be able to deal with that. We all deal with trials differently and in different ways. But, brethren, let us all respond to life's challenges, life's trials and hardships, based on our ironclad faith in the unfailing character and the perfection of God. Now, let me say that again. Let us respond to all of life's challenges, trials and hardships, based on our ironclad faith in the unfailing character and perfection of God. We have to believe that God is perfect, that God is righteous, that God is loving, that God is faithful, that God will never leave us and He'll never forsake us, even when He allows these trials and especially when He allows these trials to come upon us. He's always there. We can call upon Him.

We can know that He is near.

Let us also respond to life's challenges, life's trials, life's hardships in our love, and faithfulness to God, again realizing that He'll never leave us, He'll never forsake us. He's always there. We should always strive to respond in a way that would be pleasing to God. God loves us, and even when we respond in ways that are less than perfect, that's okay. We're all going to do that. We all fall short of God's glory. None of us are perfect in this life. We have our down moments. We have our discouragements. We have our depressions, at times. Even David was a man after God's own heart, and yet there were times when he was pretty depressed about life and about things that were going on in his life and the hardships that he was facing. So it's difficult to always do the right thing. None of us always do the right thing, so we should always be merciful to one another as well, and just realize that none of us are always perfect in how we respond to things that happen in our lives. We should also strive to always be grateful and thankful to God in the midst of these trials and challenges. James told us to count it all joy. I mean, that's always been kind of a difficult one for me to fathom, to really understand fully what he's saying here. James chapter 2, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, or when you endure it produces perseverance, greater strength to endure even more. Let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. So these things, they do work together for good for us, even though it's difficult, even though it's hard. So we always have to realize that God is behind these things. God allows them. So that's the starting point, is to realize that if God's in it, then something good will come of it. Something good will come of it. That's the first point. The second point is we must come to realize that all things that God allows or orchestrates in our lives, they do have the potential to reap good benefits. So everything ultimately God allows, and also everything can lead to good benefits, even the bad things that God allows. Remember how Joseph was sold into slavery by his own jealous brothers, but ultimately it did work out for good. Not only for Joseph, but for all of Joseph's families, or for all of the family members, for his father, for his brothers, for all of Egypt, and for all of those who were spared because of the choices that the decisions that he made when there was famine in the land, the leadership that he gave. But you know, it took years. Joseph spent years in prison.

He was in prison because Potiphar's wife falsely accused him of something he had not done.

He ended up in prison. Ultimately, it worked for good.

We just never know how things are going to work together for good in the end. We don't know how it's so hard to see that. I'm sure it was very difficult for Joseph to see that when he was in prison and when he did not have the freedom that he had enjoyed earlier.

But Scripture says that he did have faith through all of that. He did believe that God would fulfill those dreams, those things that he had had earlier, that God would deliver him ultimately from all those trials. So, a simple faith, knowing that ultimately things are going to work out, is extremely important when we're going through these trials. Having that faith, faith is something that we should ask for as well. It's a gift that God gives us. And when we lack it, we should ask for it and ask that God will give us greater strength to help us through greater faith, to help us through these trials, because certainly they are very, very difficult.

We know that God is good. We know that he is gracious, that we are saved by grace.

We know that we're taught, as Mr. Ledbetter was talking about in the sermonette, by God's grace. God has proven his love for us and given his son for us. He didn't have to do that.

That was a choice that he made. He's building a family. He's invested in each and every one of us.

He's highly invested in you. Enough to give up his own son for you, to see his son suffer and to die, to be crucified. And of course, Christ willingly laid his life down for us.

He became the perfect sacrifice for us. So what does God think about you? Even when you're having some very difficult times, in Jeremiah chapter 29, if we'll go there, it talks about what was in God's heart toward the people who had frankly sinned against him and were continuing to sin against him. That would be led into captivity. Jeremiah chapter 29. Let's see, verse 11. Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11. God says, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. God desires to give each and every one of us a glorious end in his kingdom. So whether it's us specifically that are going through the trial, or one of our loved ones who is going through the trial, God desires to give each and every one of us a glorious end. And the suffering that we go through, and the suffering that we see others go through, it's not worthy to be compared to the glory that's going to be revealed in each and every one of us. Now I'm going to mention a small thing, because it really is a small thing in comparison to so many trials that people have had, and the hardships that people are going through right now, and the hardships I've seen people go through in 40 years in God's Church. But the small things hurt too, don't they? When it happens to us. You know, a few years ago, our grandson was born, and he was born with a club foot. And that was tragic for my daughter, and it was for my wife and I too, when we stopped to think about how that could affect him for the rest of his life.

If it was a really bad club foot, and he couldn't play sports, or couldn't be involved in a lot of things, it would certainly affect his life. I know my daughter cried about this situation. My wife and I cried about it too, when we first heard about it. It was distressing. But it's such a small thing in the whole scheme of things, especially when people are suffering so much more with such dire difficulties in their life. I mean, I almost didn't bring it up.

But I decided I would bring it up, because it just underscores that all of us are human beings. We're affected by everything that goes on in our life. And what might be a real trial to some person may not be such a trial to someone else. But we should all have love for each other and realize that if it's a trial for them, it's a trial for them, no matter what it is, even if it's a small thing. And maybe we think they shouldn't be as distraught by these things as they are.

And probably in the whole scheme of things, maybe we shouldn't be.

But it's very real. Our grandson had to wear a little snowboard thing on his feet for a year or so. He had to sleep with it at night to help straighten it out. Thankfully, it worked. And he doesn't have to wear it. He's doing great. You wouldn't even know he had a club foot.

To begin with, it worked out. And you know, that little incident, it did work out for good in many ways. My daughter was drawn closer to him. We were drawn closer to him and to our daughter. And there were other benefits that came from that trial. But again, it was a very minor trial in many, many respects. And I don't mean to make light of other people's trials by mentioning this one. But we do have to believe that all things are going to work together for good, no matter how severe the trial is or how insignificant it is to some degree.

Again, under this point, the second point, God allows these bad things to happen.

But good can come from all of these bad things that happen in our lives. We have to understand that. We have to believe that. We have to take some comfort in this Scripture that all things work together for good. If we love God and if we're called according to His purpose, and if we're really looking at things the way we should through God's eyes, then we are growing and overcoming and getting nearer to God. Now, another principle in this regard is that a third principle, again, we'll be more thankful if we can understand these principles.

Again, all things work together for good, not necessarily best.

Not necessarily best. I mean, it would be nice in many ways. We didn't have to have some of these trials. Sometimes we make foolish mistakes, and our lives would have been a lot better if we hadn't made that mistake. Sometimes people sin against us in horrendous ways.

And our lives would have been much better if those sins had not been committed against us.

It's not saying it works out for the best, but it is saying that things will work out for good, again, if we are called according to God's purpose and if we apply these spiritual principles in our lives. So let us always keep that in mind. All things will produce character in us, even the bad things, especially the bad things, when we respond appropriately to those things.

And always know that God loves us through these trials, and that there's something better that will come out of all of this in the end. So when we suffer or experience pain or loss, again, we have the opportunity to develop a certain peace that only God can give us through these trials. God gives us that peace. He gives us the patience. He gives us a certain thankfulness, too, that we can have and a humility that we can have through our trials. It humbles us. These are all important attributes, godly attributes, that God wants us to develop. Sometimes when we're offended by things that happen to us in our lives, we learn the qualities of forgiveness. We learn understanding.

We also, again, learn greater compassion until we're not so easily offended by things. Although Christ was perfect and never gave into sin, the Scripture says that he learned obedience by the things that he suffered. Christ suffered as a human being. Now, he never sinned. He never gave into any temptation, but he had to endure suffering. He had to endure trials.

He proved his perfection by enduring this suffering in a godly manner.

Of course, he didn't back out. He didn't curse God in any way. Although he was being crucified, he set an example for all of us to follow. He was perfectly obedient throughout all of his suffering.

And, of course, we should strive to follow his example. So that's a third thing. Again, all things work together for good, not necessarily the best.

And then the last point is all things reveal to us God's way. All things reveal to us God's ways. When God allows these things to happen, they reveal to us God's ways.

God isn't a respecter of persons. We really don't know what kind of suffering or trial is going to hit us at any given time. God is not a respecter of persons. It can happen to anyone at any time.

Lest we think more highly of ourselves that the reason nothing's ever happened to us is because we're so good, that's not the case. In Psalm 119 verse 71, David said, it is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn from your statutes.

Again, we are taught by these things. God teaches us through these trials that we have.

Let's go to Isaiah chapter 55 for a moment. Isaiah chapter 55.

Isaiah 55 verse 8 and 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my way, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down in the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth in bud that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I send it.

So God's will is perfect. God knows what He's doing. When God allows these things to happen, they will work together for good if we will just have faith and trust that they will. In 1 Peter 4, it shows our goal and purpose in life is to learn righteousness throughout everything that happens in our lives. 1 Peter 4, verse 1, Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lust of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles, and in following these carnal ways, when we walked in lewdness and lusts and drunkenness and revelries and so forth.

We're to come out of all of that, aren't we? We're to no longer walk in those ways. So our goal and our purpose in life is to learn righteousness which lasts forever. And so God will help us learn righteousness. He will allow certain things to happen in our lives that will test us in various ways. Some things will tempt us. Some things will test us. And we are to learn righteousness through it all. And we know that those who love God learn to keep His commandments. We learn compassion when we suffer. We do become more compassionate for others. We understand what others are going through, and we have to go through it ourselves. It makes us better people.

We're more likely to give someone a drink of water, as the Scripture says in Matthew 25, if we've also suffered and needed water ourselves. We're more apt to provide water for others.

We do learn patience by the things that we suffer and the things that we do endure.

We learn to submit to God's will more fully in our lives as we go through these trials.

Our faith is strengthened when we endure trials and suffering, and character is developed in us when we endure these trials and suffering. So let's go to Romans 8. Let's read a little bit more in Romans 8 as we conclude the sermon today. Romans 8, verse 28.

I already mentioned some of what led up to this, talking about the things that we suffer are not worthy to be compared to what God has in store for us. Verse 28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose, for whom he foreknew he also predestined. He called certain ones, he's calling certain ones now to be firstfruits. It's up to us whether we respond and whether we truly become firstfruits. Many are called, but few are chosen because they simply don't respond, and they don't stay faithful. Those who stay faithful are the ones, those who endure to the end, the same shall be saved. For whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. His Son suffered greatly for us, he was crucified for us, that he might be the firstborn among many. Brethren, Christ is the firstborn among many, moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called, and whom he called, these he also justified, and whom he justified, these he also glorified, or is in the process of glorifying. God's in the process of glorifying us. And trials play a major role in that. Our hardships, the things that happen in our lives, the health issues and trials that we struggle with, some on a daily basis. Verse 31, what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? We know that God is for us. We know that God will never leave us and God will never forsake us. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all. The Father did not spare his own son. He's no respecter of persons. He did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?

It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

So, brethren, we should not judge harshly one another, should we?

We shouldn't set back in judgment as to how a person responds to his trials, to his tribulations.

His trials and tribulations are different from yours. His temperament is different. His upbringing is different. His environment is different. It's very dangerous ground to look at someone and think of yourself more highly than the other person. In fact, the Scripture clearly warns us not to do that. We're not to think of ourselves more highly than someone else. And that's what we do when we judge another person in that way. Yes, we are to discern right and wrong. We're to discern evil. But we're not to judge our brother in how they respond to life's challenges. God is our judge. God knows our heart. God knows all these things. And love is learning not to do that. Reading a little bit further here.

In verse 35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. And I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God's love is there always. Christ's love is there always. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. No hardship, no persecution, no trial can separate us from God's love. In fact, God's love is ever more present at those times. And we need to draw upon the love of God the Father and Jesus Christ when we are hit with these kinds of trials and suffering.

So do you believe Romans 8 28? Do you believe what the Scripture says?

All things really do work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose. God has a wonderful plan that He's working out here below. Trials are a part of that. Suffering is a part of that. All things really do work together for good. So let's remember that and always apply that in our lives.