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Radical Credo for the Christian Worldview

R. C. Sproul on Romans 8:28:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This verse is, he writes,

…not merely a biblical expression of comfort for those who suffer affliction. Is is far more than that. It is a radical credo for the Christian worldview. It represents the absolute triumph of divine purpose over all alleged acts of chaos. It erases “misfortune” from the vocabulary of the Christian.

God, in his providence, has the power and the will to work all things together for good for his people. This does not mean that everything that happens to us is, in itself, good. Really bad things do happen to us. But thay are only proximately bad; they are never ultimately bad. That is, they are bad only in the short (proximate) term, never in the long term. Because of the triumph of God’s goodness in all things, he is able to bring good for us out of the bad. He turns our tragedies into supreme blessings.

Quoted from the essay Senseless Tragedy? in Be Still, My Soul: Embracing God’s Purpose & Provision in Suffering, edited by Nancy Guthrie.

Thankful Thursday

I just listed a bunch of things I’m thankful for yesterday in my April Status Report. Here are a couple more:

• I’m thankful for time alone. Since I have two of my grown children, along with their pets, living with me, this can be a busy home. So when I have peace and quiet to read or reflect or write, I’m thankful for it. I’m also thankful that that my home is busy enough that alone time is not lonely, but a joy.
• I’m thankful that I learned how to sew when I was young so that I can make things when I want to. I’m also thankful that I don’t have to sew things unless I want to.

On Thursdays throughout this year, I plan to post a few thoughts of thanksgiving along with Kim at the Upward Call and others.