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

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

No matter the thing we encounter is good or bad, the secret to benefiting from it is loving God. When faced with the same thing, those who love God can benefit a lot, while those who do not love God obtain nothing. For God examines the innermost heart of man. He knows whether or not we love Him in our heart. If we love God, whatever we encounter in our life, we will gain something good.

God says: “God can perfect man in both positive and negative aspects. It depends on whether you are able to experience, and on whether you pursue being perfected by God. If you truly seek being perfected by God, then the negative cannot make you suffer loss, but can bring you things that are more real, and can make you more able to know that which is lacking within you, more able to come to grips with your real states, and see that man has nothing, and is nothing; if you do not experience trials, you do not know, and will always feel that you are above others and better than everyone else. Through all this you will see that all that came before was done by God and protected by God. Entry into trials leaves you without love or faith, you lack prayer, and are unable to sing hymns—and, without realizing it, in the midst of this you come to know yourself. God has many means of perfecting man. He employs all manner of environments to deal with the corrupt disposition of man, and uses various things to lay man bare; in one regard He deals with man, in another He lays man bare, and in another He reveals man, digging out and revealing the ‘mysteries’ in the depths of man’s heart, and showing man his nature by revealing many of his states. God perfects man through many methods—through revelation, dealing, refinement, and chastisement—so that man may know that God is practical.”

I am utterly convinced of God’s words because I have truly experienced that God can perfect man in both positive and negative aspects. It depends on whether we pursue the truth, and on whether or not we love God. I have been worked with a sister for months, but we still couldn’t get along well with each other. I don’t want to hear her voice, nor stay with her. My suffering even reaches a certain point that I have no thought to pray and lose faith in God. But when I saw these words of God, I came to know God’s will. Although this sister didn’t after my heart, through her, God revealed my deficiencies and let me see the truth of my corruption—I can hate others when they do something hurt my pride, and I can avoid God when the people, things, and matters God arranges aren’t in line with my will. After realizing this, I understood God’s earnest intentions and chose to actively seek truth to solve my own problems instead of escaping and being passive toward that. Thanks be to God!