Every little thing is gonna be alright
“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright”.
I woke on the morning of writing this blog with those words from Bob Marley’s song: Three Little Birds, ringing in my ears. Maybe it’s because I have not long returned from the beautiful island of Jamaica, the place of my parents’ birth, and everywhere you turn there is a Bob Marley song ringing out. No sooner had the song crossed my mind than another set of words quickly followed.
They are:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Taken from Romans 8:28 this verse has been well used in many sermons, devotionals and, I dare say, an innumerable number of one-to-one encounters since they were penned by the apostle Paul. Context is key, or so we are told, hence it is important to note the context in which these words were written.
Paul was writing to a beleaguered church – they were dealing with persecution, struggling with sin, the confusing constraints of the law, and disunity in their ranks. In chapter 8 Paul turns the attention of his audience to the Holy Spirit, the One promised to us in John 14:16-17 and John 16:7-15, and reminds his readers that it is the Holy Spirit who can make a difference amid difficult and contradictory circumstances. Right from the outset we are bolstered with the power packed encouragement that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus! He goes on to explain about the freedom which we have in Christ (v.2); that the Holy Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies (v.11); that we are indeed children of God (v.16) and that the Holy Spirit helps our weaknesses and assists our intercession (v.26). Paul goes on to assert that “… we KNOW all things work together for our good …’ (v.28).
Romans 8:28 evokes two questions in my mind – Do we really KNOW all things work together for our good, even when things are bad? And HOW can we know?
In the context of this verse the ability to know is not just based on one’s intellectual knowledge, it’s deeper than that. The Greek word for ‘know’ in this verse is ‘oida’, which means to have an absolute, settled knowledge. The implication is that we can know (be assured) that all things – good and bad – will work together for our good because of God. The One who has made us free in Christ, who has granted strength for our weaknesses and called us His children. He is the One that adds the ingredients to our daily walk which can make a difference in every situation. Like a Master baker He oversees the timing of the dough rising, of how long the bread should be in the transforming heat of the oven, when it should be removed and how it will be distributed to nourish those for whom it is intended.
In this last point we identify something essential.
Just as the bread is baked for purpose, we too are called to fulfil a divinely ordained assignment. Our specific purpose will look, sound and appear different to that of others; but there are also collective assignments as detailed in Matt 28:18-20 and Eph 2:10.
Thus, in a world which is searching for truth, love, answers and reality, let’s remind ourselves that God is working things out for our good. Let’s remember that He is committed to doing this even though sometimes death robs us of loved ones, finances might fail to meet needs, relationships are difficult, and life can feel relentlessly challenging. He works things for our good because we are called according to His divine purpose for our lives, and so that we might reach those whose lives can be transformed by the gospel.
Be encouraged! Keep your heart in a place of worship and if need be, you can adopt Bob’s song – because what truly makes every little thing alright? The Spirit of God who is always working for our good.
Blessings,
Marcia Ogunji