Romans 8:28 is Not Just Yours

Our church is in the middle of a sermon series on Joseph and I decided to also follow along with Tim Keller's sermons on the same subject. He, of course, says some flat out amazing things. In discussing the sovereignty of God over Joe's suffering, he rightly says that this was all discipline for him and now we can say that our suffering is, in truth, discipline for us (he leaned heavily on Hebrews 12:7ff to explain this). Now the problem, he says, is that people try and figure out exactly what God is up to. In every event they see the hand of God and they must know the reason why it is happening.

He says, for example, that people misconstrue and misunderstand 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." Most people assume that means things like "I got that flat tire because I had to call a tow truck driver. That driver is now my husband." Now, that may possibly be the reason you got a flat tire. But to say that is the only reason, or even one of the reasons, is really impossible to say and, probably, egocentric. Rather than looking outward, the events in this world are there so that we may turn inward. Everything God does in your life is meant to reposition your heart, turning you away from idols and to Him.