Everything Happens for a Reason
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Research by Mark Powell
Russia - There was a famine
Tanzania - No one gave him anything to eat
United States - Squandered his wealth
Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.
After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.
He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance,
endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope
that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?
Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?
Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.
Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.
Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The good that the Bible speaks of is the salvation of the nations.