Together” - “We Know

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Mar 4, 1913

“Together” — “We Know”

SAYS the apostle in Rom. 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” But, says a dear soul undergoing heavy trial, how is this bitter cup for my good? Why have I lost this dear friend? And many other such like queries. We reply that singly the trial may not be for your good. If all your life were to be spent in such trial, if there were no hereafter, you would indeed be miserable. But that affliction may work out for you an eternal weight of glory if you will but learn the lesson. Humble yourselves before God, and He will exalt you in due time.

Believe God still, “He is too wise to err, too good to prove unkind.” Your trial is needed in some way. You only see the now; God sees the end. You are thinking of the present and near future; God has in mind the ages of eternity to come. The rain, cold as it seems, is as necessary as the sun to the tiny plant; so dark trials are as necessary as pleasant, sunny blessings. And as the rain is blessing as well as the sunshine, so dark trials are blessings together with the sunny places of life; for “we would not learn to walk by faith could we always walk by sight.” Leave the web of promise to the great Weaver; if it be His will, let Him mingle the dark and light, the rough and smooth. He never makes mistakes; He allows us to correct ours. When the web is finished, and we shall see it all, the dark places will be the most glorious; and while in this life we could not see that these trials alone were for our good, we shall then see that all things have worked together for our good through the perfect wisdom of God. But let us not wait till then to know; faith says now, “We know.”

The margin of the American Revised Version gives us a precious thought. It makes God working actively in our behalf: “And we know that to them that love God, God worketh all things with them for good.” And He does. As elsewhere expressed: “Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: that we should be to the praise of His glory.” Eph. 1:11. Again, in the light of these assurances, let faith say, “We know.”