Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, September 8, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I have a love-hate relationship with this text. I have heard it used as an empty platitude to try to comfort people who are dealing with serious pain. I have heard it used as a way to exclude non-Christians from God’s grace, to justify those people’s difficulties. I hate to admit it, but sometimes when I hear this verse, I cringe a little.
But I have also heard it proclaimed as a source of great hope and a call to action. In a world that often feels hopelessly broken, it is a reminder that ultimately God is in charge. No matter what happens now or in the future, even in the very worst case scenario, God loves us, redeems us, and carries us. The least we can do is respond with gratitude and act on behalf of this broken world in any way we can, trusting that all will work for the good of all God’s beloved creation.
What Bible passages give me hope?