Most Sovereign, Loving, and Perfect Father, this is the best news ever … you are working in all things for the good of those who love you—and we love you because you first loved us by “gifting” us with perfect and full salvation in Jesus. Sending Jesus wasn’t an afterthought but an eternal one—made before the world began. You called, justified, and glorified us.
Our glorification (becoming 100% Jesus-like) is so certain you moved Paul to write about it in the past tense. Because you gave Jesus for us, and gave us to Jesus, certainly we can trust you for everything else needful in us—and in the entire cosmos. All evil has an expiration date; but the Day of all things new and beautiful is eternal. (Paraphrase of Rom.8:28-32—with a little of 1Jn.4:17, Jn.17:2, Rom.16:20, Rev.21:5, Eccl.3:11 in the hope-filled mix too!)
Abba, Father, we have no clue how all things are going to work out, but we are deeply grateful to know you work in all things for your glory and our good. All things means ALL things because ALL things were created by and for Jesus (Col.1:16), and he is committed to make ALL things new and beautiful.
You are at work in our messiest most frustrating relationships. You are at work in our greatest joys and our “achiest” heartaches. You are at work in our divided Romans-7-hearts—which one Day will love you only and love you perfectly. Hallelujah!
You are at work in things that make zero sense to us—and frustrate, puzzle, and anger us. You’re never offended when we cry out, “How long O Lord?”—because you know the answer. You are indifferent and disengaged from nothing—in us and around us.
Greenland, Poland, Czechoslovakia (and all other hard to spell and pronounce countries)—along with Switzerland, Venezuela, Ukraine, the entire UK, and all other nations are yours. Stars already sing about you (Job 38:7) and one Day the entire earth will be filled with your glory (Hab.2:14). Thank you, Abba. So Very Amen.
