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By Rick Warren — 06/13/2024
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
One of the great fears we all face is the fear of the future. We fear for the futures of our families, our friends, our jobs, our communities—and everything else in between.
It’s natural. We’re not in control. But that realization shouldn’t drive us to fear. It should drive us to trust God more deeply.
We might not be in control of our future, but God is. He created the whole universe. If he wanted to, the Lord could just snap it out of existence in a moment. Yet he is working his plan in history. He is moving history to a climax, a destiny. One day Jesus Christ will come back to earth. Nothing will stop that. Just as he is working in history to move events toward that day, he will work in your life for a purpose too.
The Bible says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 NLT).
God’s Word doesn’t say that everything is good. It also doesn’t say that God causes everything. He doesn’t cause war. He doesn’t cause cancer. He doesn’t cause rape, abortion, abuse, or molestation. He doesn’t cause evil. We do that. God gives us the freedom to choose. Evil is the price of that freedom.
But the Bible does say that God causes everything to work together for good. He can take the dumb, evil, and bad decisions we’ve made in our lives and use them for good if we’ll trust him. Romans 8:28 isn’t a promise for everyone, though. It’s for “those who love God.” It’s for those who trust God and say, “Here, Lord, you take all the broken pieces of my life and put them together.”
This is why when I read the headlines each day, I don’t worry. Sure, there are a lot of problems in the world today, but God is still in control. He is still moving history to a climax. And he is still moving his people toward his best for them. One day God will work everything out for his purpose.
Because God is in control, we can trust him with everything—the good and the bad and all of our fear.
Talk It Over
How does knowing that God is in control help you to trust him more?
When have you seen God take a bad decision and make something good out of it?
What’s one fear of the future that you can hand over to God today?
Have you trusted Jesus for your future?
If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus and follow him, then pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I receive you into my life as my Lord and Savior. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management.
“I’m grateful for your unconditional love. I want to use the rest of my life to love and serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”