QUESTION OF THE DAY

Question: Is everything that happens to me God’s will?

Answer:

Some believers think so. They often base this on their understanding of Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” You can see why this verse by itself could be used to teach that everything that happens to us is God’s will. However, when examined in context with the verses around it, we discover this verse has a very different meaning.

Let’s step back and read verse 28 with a couple of verses leading into it: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:26-28).

This gives us a clearer view of what God really wants us to know about these verses. Regardless of what is happening to us in this world, the Holy Spirit is standing in prayer for us that the will of the Father be done in our lives. In fact, the Bible teaches that we can actually partner with the Holy Spirit in prayer and pray for our own lives and the lives of others (1 Timothy 2:1).

Adversity is unavoidable. But God can and will turn our adversities to our good when we submit ourselves to His direction. The Apostle Paul said we have enemies which are not flesh and blood but are principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). When being attacked by the forces of darkness, Christians must not sit in complacency, but rather submit themselves to God and resist the devil (James 4:7).

In short, Romans 8:28 is a reminder that regardless of what the enemy throws our way, God is on the throne and Jesus is Lord!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries