All Things – August 16, 2023

In all things God works for the good of those who love him.
Romans 8:28

All Things

It was the last night of a Christian retreat, and Paul Lim felt immense relief. As far as Paul was concerned, the entire retreat so far had been awful—awkward company, poor quality music, and even the food was bad. Besides, Paul was an economics major at Yale, and his worldview was completely secular, even atheistic. With the end of the retreat in sight, Paul sat towards the back of the room for the final session.

As he did, the band got back on stage. It then played a song Paul had never heard before. And there was something about that song—something in the words that struck Paul’s heart. And Paul Lim began to sob. Before long, Paul professed his faith in Jesus as his Savior.

Fast forward to Paul’s next semester at Yale. If one were writing a feel-good movie, the script would call for Paul Lim to feel happy and satisfied now that he had become a Christian. But that was not the case. An immediate consequence of his Christianity was extreme loneliness. His friends were, abruptly, no longer a part of his life. But, as Paul later admitted, it was the loneliness that drove him to read the Bible. In fact, in that one semester, Paul Lim read through the entire Bible seven times. And it was during those difficult days that Paul Lim began to get truly acquainted with the person of Jesus Christ.

In our Bible reading today it says, “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him.” For some of us, these words have become almost a cliché, a throw-away line we use to assure ourselves that everything is going to be okay. When we do, however, we often overlook God’s promise to be at work in our darkest moments.

Today, Paul Lim teaches history at a major university. He is also openly Christian, inviting his students to ask questions. By the power of the gospel, he knows what Jesus did on the cross to wash his sins away. He also knows how God uses even dark times for profound good. That’s how the Lord works—in your life and mine too.

Prayer:
Lord, in my difficult times, remind me that you are at work. Carry me through. Amen.