“The only way God works is for good, because he is goodness.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 17, 2026
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28, NIV
You’ve likely heard this verse more times than you can count. In my mind, the phrasing that most immediately comes to mind is this: “all things work together for good.” Most of the time, I took this to mean that I was always meant to see the good in something, to find the positive in a negative situation, to make the best of whatever cards I’d been dealt. While there may be some goodness or truth to that, I think it misses the point of this verse.
Though it is a subtle shift, I appreciate the way the NIV phrases God’s role and activity in the affairs of our lives. “In all things…God works for the good.” As the book of Acts reminds us, it is “in him that we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). There is never a moment in which God is absent or uninvolved. He creates and sustains the world and gives us every breath that we breathe. In all things, God is working. And yet, that doesn’t mean all things are inherently good. We have the ability to work with God in harmony with His will and His plans for the world, yet we also have the freedom to do evil and rebel against the way that leads to life. Yet even in the brokenness and chaos and deepest confusion of our lives and world, even there, God is at work. As the Psalms remind us, where can we go from the presence of God? If we make our bed in Sheol, He is there. If we dwell in the depths of the sea, even there His hand is leading us and holding us fast (Psalm 139:7-10).
The only way God works is for good, because he is goodness.
Whenever and wherever we encounter his presence, it is an encounter of perfect love, divine mercy, and endless goodness, and we are invited to join him in that way of life. So today, give thanks that God is at work in all things. This is profoundly good news because for us it means that every single moment of our lives has the potential to encounter goodness, no matter how bleak or dark things may appear.
Prayer
Father, thank you that in all things you are at work. You are near to us, speaking goodness and inviting us deeper into the narrow way that leads to your kingdom. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Consider the countless ways God is working in your life, bringing goodness in all things.
Related Reading
Genesis 50:20; Psalm 34:8; James 1:17
Worship Resource
Keith & Kristyn Getty: He Will Hold Me Fast
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