For our devotion series, we are looking at “Prayer and the Will of God”. In our text, we find some very precious promises given to us by our Lord …. Rom 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.
After learning that the Lord’s perfect will is always done as the result of the Spirit’s intercessory prayers on our behalf…. We know that all things work together for good. To understand the thrust of this section of Scripture, we need to have a firm understanding of what is meant by “our good”. Our devotion will center on coming to an understanding of this phrase.
There are two Greek words commonly translated “good” in the NT…
1. Kalos – this word carries with it the idea of “physically beauty” or being “pleasing to the sight”. It normally centers on the attractive appearance of something, whether it is “good” people, actions or objects. Example: “He made this good statue”… meaning that the statue was pleasing to the eyes, it was attractive to look at. It draws our attention to how the statue looks to our physical eyes.
2. Agathos – this word carries with it no physical, outward aspect to it. It refers to morality that is within someone, or something that is beneficial to us. Example: “He is a good man”. This guy could be uglier than dirt, but he is morally upright and pleasing to God, or perhaps he was very helpful to someone in need. It draws our attention away from this guy’s appearance, whether he was handsome or ugly, and places our attention on his being, nature or character.
In our text the phrase “our good” is translated from a Greek word agathos. This teaches us that, when we are facing the different circumstances in life, although they may not APPEAR as if they are for our good, we can rest assured that they are. The Greek word here specifically takes appearance totally out of the picture and centers our attention on the true nature of the circumstance. This is a very important point to understand this great promise from God.
I have found throughout my life and the lives of others I have spoken with…. One of the greatest difficulties we face during times of trials and heartaches is centering on the “appearance” of things. When faced with extreme difficulties we always get the idea that, based upon a surface appearance, they are harmful and “bad” for us. But in this verse, we have the clear reminder that we should avoid the situation’s appearance and concentrate on the real, hidden value of this situation. In other words, during times of trials we 2 Cor 5:7 “we walk by faith, not by sight:”
Truly, we can be assured; in times of difficulties when our fleshly weaknesses and inabilities are brought into view, it is these very situations that ALWAYS work for our benefit. They may appear very harmful to us through our human eyes of flesh but, through the eyes of faith, we can rest assured God’s Word will always be true and this situation will ALWAYS work for our benefit.
May the Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.
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