"WE
KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD"         (Romans
8:28)

Paul
knew this. A great many believers do not know it for they have never learned
it. "We know." What a blessed knowledge to know and realize that all
things work together for good to them that love God. God includes all things —
not some things, not the good things — but all things without exception.
In this the wonderful power of God is shown. He does not take His people out of
the world, does not take them away from the evil, does not even keep the evil
away from them; but He makes all things, both good and evil, work together for
good to them that love Him. He brings good to His people out of the evil. The
trouble is that while God’s people may see the evil very plainly, they have not
the knowledge of God to realize His power over the evil to make it work for
their good. It needs a strong faith to realize the wonderful power of God. We
are so inclined to think God cannot do this or that, that we do not trust Him
fully as Caleb did. God’s people of old "limited the Holy One of Israel."
God’s people today limit Him in the same way.

Not
long ago one said  to the writer, "God does not work miracles now,"
and only three days ago a letter came from a dear Christian friend which said
that the age of miracles is past. In one sense these statements may be true.
But the Lord God keeps His promise today just as much as He did in the days of
Elisha or Paul. God does not change; His ways of dealing with men do, but we
must not limit the power and faithfulness of our God. If we do so, we do it to
our great and infinite loss.

How
often it is true of us that we look at the evils, at circumstances, at things
which are taking place around us, and base our hopes and fears on them instead
of upon our God, the eternal and unchangeable One. The things we fear are the
unreal; our worst fears are very often imaginary, and the evils we look for may
never come. But God is the real One; all here is vanity and of the fallen
creation; "the world passeth away and the lust thereof." We need to
remember that all things are in His hands; He is good; He does only that which
is good; He makes all the things which take place about us work together for
our good, if we love Him. "All things." How much ground that
covers:all the bad things, all the evil things, all the things which seem so
hard to bear, all the sorrowful things, all the afflictions, all the trials,
all the disappointments, all the attacks of Satan and wicked men, all the
failures and mistakes of others, "all things work together for good to them
that love God." Well now, does not God take wonderful care of those that
love Him? He cannot do too much for them, but then He does it in His way and
time, and that is where the trial comes. It is our part to believe His words,
to trust Him with all our hearts, to cling to Him whatever comes. And it is His
free grace which enables us to do this. Faith is His gift, He gives us faith in
Him and love to Him. "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye
shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).
"Verily, verily, 1 say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My
name, He will give it you" (John 16:23). Do we want more faith and love?
Here then are these promises for us to plead and lay hold of. "Ask and ye
shall receive, that your joy may be full." These are the very words of our
Lord Jesus Christ. They are His words to every one of His people:to you, if
you have believed in Him. "What ye will," "Whatsoever ye shall
ask," how broad are these promises! He will not give us that which will
merely gratify the flesh, but all the grace and blessings we need that will
make us what He would have us. In our conflict with the world, the flesh, and
the devil, what strength and cheer such promises are. They are our life and our
light, and we feed upon them, rest in them, rejoice in them. Do you want faith?
Then ask for it. Do you want to love Him more and more? Then ask for
it. Get so familiar with these promises that they will be your treasure, your
joy, your hope. Is there any need of your lacking anything good with such
promises as these? "No good thing will He withhold from them that walk
uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). He will not keep any good back from His own
faithful people. So we can rejoice in Him, we can praise Him with full hearts.