I preached my Sunday AM message from Rom 8:28, God is able to make all things work together for the good. Our van was already packed and loaded for summer vacation. After service, we immediately headed toward the secluded mountain cabin I had rented for a week. Several hours later, we arrived, but something did not seem right— a man was unloading suitcases from his car trunk at the door of OUR cabin. I approached telling him that I was sure I rented this particular cabin. Checking the location and ID numbers on our receipts, we discovered he had also rented this cabin for the same dates. You can imagine my shock and disappointment. I headed to the house of the caretaker. “She’s done it again!” he grumbled. “That’s the second time in a month she’s double booked.” My heart sank, “What are we going to do? It’s July fourth weekend!” “I am so sorry”, he replied, “I’ll call some of rental agencies I work with.” He began dialing his old rotary dial phone. I could hear the agent, “Sorry, we are all booked up.” By the fifth time he started dialing, I began reminding God of the sermon I had preached a few hours earlier. My prayer or probably my complaint went something like this, “OK God! You said that you would make all things work together for our good and even give us something better. How can you do that in this situation?” The fifth agent said, “Send them to my office”. That was the longest 20-miles I had ever driven. The entire way, I was repeating my prayer/complaint in my head and adding, “Let me see you make this better?” And of course, for 20 miles, our three children were asking, “Daddy, what are we going to do?”
Finally, sitting across the desk from the sympathetic rental agent she asked, “How old are your children?” I told her. I have one place, the home of a couple who are away. They are both artist and have a lot of breakables. But if you think your kids are okay, I’ll let you have it.” Even better, it was hundred dollars less. However, the lesser price made me wonder if we might be getting a rundown log cabin with an outhouse and a hand pump for water. But, I assured her they were well behaved. So, off we went again not knowing what to expect, still wondering if God could make this better.
All of our mouths dropped open when we arrive—a two-story house, with a deck overlooking a river 1000 feet beyond, and an indoor heated swimming pool. Of course, I immediately began repenting of questioning God’s ability.
Many times since that vacation, I have seen God make the worst of situations work for our good. I actually wrote this Sustaining Word earlier this year when our lives seem totally turned upside down during the effort to relocate. Everything was going wrong, leaving us with an impossible situation. I could not convince myself this scriptural promise would work for this particular occasion. So, I filed it and forgot about it until today. That makes me wonder if some reader is in an impossible circumstance and needs reminding that God is able to make your particular thing work together for your good.
On the 20-mile drive from the caretaker’s house to the rental agencies, several times I thought, “What’s the use? I’ll just go home and not waste my time trying to find another place.” But mile by mile, I kept driving. For you, whether it is mile-by-mile, step-by-step, day-by-day, or even minute-by-minute, just drive one more mile, take one more step, or wait one more day or one more minute.
During our time at Bible College, I came to the end of myself—no money, overwhelmed with study, and emotion drained. It was the end and I decided I would leave school. However, the Holy Spirit whispered in my spirit the night I made that decision, “Get up tomorrow and take one more step.” Nothing changed overnight, but the next morning as I stepped out the door for class, my worries just vanished. The burden lifted. That day the finances came and I was ready to study. God made it work for our good then, and again in the past months.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
God is able to make all things work together for the good. Take one more step and see Him turn your impossible situation into something for your good and His glory.