“All Things” (Really?) Paul wrote that “all things work together for good” in Romans 8:28. But what does this wonderful promise mean—especially when bad things happen?
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J
oe looked up from the cell floor as the warden slammed the door shut. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he once again wondered: What did I do to deserve this? How could this be happening? What possible good could come from this turn of events? Where was God? Myrtle was seemingly alone in her thoughts. The very real threat to her extended family weighed heavily on her. Surely, this wasn’t the plan. How could things have gone so wrong? Was this really happening? Why didn’t God intervene?
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Paul gingerly tested his footing as he slowly straightened his back and stretched. It had been another bruising day. How had it come to this—the increasing regularity of these brushes with violence? There seemed to be no end to it—different day, different town, same abuse.
Nothing new
Such stories highlight the ongoing cycle of trials so commonplace today. The frequently quoted adage “that which has been is what will be . . . and there is
DISCERN
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