Seeing God's Sovereignty in Romans 8:28

Deception Pass at Sunset

I believe in God's sovereignty.  When I'm baffled by circumstances or even bewildered by some events in my life, God's sovereignty has held onto me.  That's probably why Romans 8:28 has over the years become one of my favorite verses.  Last week I read chapter 21 of the Life-Study of Romans that covered this verse.  I have read this portion on page 250 many times, and it always strengthens my heart: 

The intercession in Romans 8:26-27 causes all things to work together  (v. 28).  The Greek word translated "all things" means all matters, all persons, all things, all in all.  God the Father is sovereign and He arranges everything... He causes all things, all matters and all persons to work together for our good...God has determined our destiny beforehand, and this destiny can never be fulfilled without the divine arrangement which causes all things to work together for us.  Our destiny is to be conformed to the image of the firstborn Son of God [Romans 8:29]. We are not yet fully in the image of the firstborn Son of God, but God the Father is planning, molding, and performing by causing all things to work together for good (Lee, Witness. Life Study of Romans. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1974, Print). 

     I've also heard it said that the good in this verse is not according to our definition of good, but God's. Earlier in this message he talked about how God has sovereignly arranged where we were born, who would be in our family, and so many details of our life so that we can grow up into full sonship.  No matter what happens or how we feel about what happens, we need keep believing and trusting in God's sovereignty.

Blog Update 5/5/14:  Here's a link to a beautiful song called All Things Work Together from the CD The Comfort Abounds put out by www.nycypcd.org

You can listen to live portions of Witness Lee's sharing on the Life Study of Romans with helpful commentary on the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. 

Other Blogs on the Life Studies of Romans:

 Why is Romans Called the Gospel of God?
What's the Connection Between Romans 4 and God's Calling of Abraham?
What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?
Have You seen the Gospel in Romans 8:3?
Seeing God's Sovereignty in Romans 8:28
What Was Man Created For in Romans 9:21?
What is the Focus of Romans 12?
What Does Romans 14 Say About Receiving Believers & Why Does It Matter?
Have You Seen the Practical Church Life in Romans 16?
What are the Three Laws in Romans 7 & 8 All About?
What Does Being Saved in Life Mean in Romans 5:10?
How Do Carnations Illustrate a Believer's Glorification in Romans 8:30?
Why is God's Righteousness the Power of the Gospel in Romans 1:16-17?
From the Life Study of Roman - Why is God Triune?