A Spiritual Pillow | The Institute for Creation Research

A Spiritual Pillow



“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

There is not one electron outside the absolute control of our sovereign God. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35). So, in a world full of suffering, how do we make sense of Romans 8:28?

First, we know God has a precious, sovereign plan for all believers. Second, we may not know how God uses difficulties for our greater good. Job didn’t understand what was motivating his trials, but he knew his God experientially when he said, “I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee....I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee” (Job 42:2, 5).

Third, God can’t be blamed for evil. He may allow evil things into our lives (Paul’s thorn in the flesh, Peter’s imprisonment, believers’ suffering) for refining ends, but He is not a culpable agent since He “neither tempteth…any man” (James 1:13). Theologians call this seeming paradox “concurrence”—God supervising the actions of sinful agents for His own purposes.

Fourth, God causes all things to providentially work together for good—God’s ordering of all events after the counsel of His own will. God richly supplies us with all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17), but we know His loving providence may also include suffering (Romans 8:18).

There is deep comfort in this “pillow” verse as we are reminded that life is not a random collection of messy events. You may not be able to trace His hand, but like suffering Job you can trust His heart. CM

Days of Praise Podcast Days of Praise Podcast is a podcast based on the Institute for Creation Research quarterly print devotional, Days of Praise. Start your day with devotional readings written by Dr. Henry Morris, Dr. Henry Morris III, Dr. John Morris, and others to strengthen and encourage you in your Christian faith.
 
         

 

The Latest
ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Crystals!
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

APOLOGETICS
Playing Chess with Little Furry Critters
God’s multifarious and marvelous designs for basic creature needs are so innovatively clever and providentially purposeful that Christ’s...

ACTS & FACTS
Credit Only Our Creator
History was my favorite subject as a young kid. But it always puzzled me when my teachers said, “We study history so that we don’t repeat...

ACTS & FACTS
Genomic Tandem Repeats: Where Repetition Is Purposely Adaptive
Tandem repeats (TRs) are short sequences of DNA repeated over and over again like the DNA letter sequence TACTACTAC, which is a repetition of TAC three...

ACTS & FACTS
Dinosaur National Monument: Fossil Graveyard of the Flood
Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) is one of the richest exposures of dinosaur fossils in the world.1...

ACTS & FACTS
The Transforming Influence of Genesis: Worker Dignity and Safety
When Pharisees questioned the Lord Jesus about marriage, He answered by quoting Genesis 1:27: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made...

NEWS
Giant ''Meg'' Shark: Longer and Leaner?
Fossil remains of the giant shark Otodus megalodon have been found in Miocene1 and Pliocene2 rock layers, which ICR scientists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...

NEWS
Marine Mammals: Designed for Deep Diving
While you’re reading this, hold your breath. What is now happening is your blood is delivering the last of oxygenated blood cells to your tissues...

CREATION PODCAST
Humanity's Demise at the Hands of Genetic Entropy | The Creation...
Welcome to the fourth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...