Real Hope: Restorationনমুনা

God Is ‘Good’ If you’ve been around church culture any length of time, you’ve probably heard this scripture countless times. It reminds us that God is the master artist behind all the details of our lives – no matter how messy they may seem – bringing them all together in an ultimate display of good. Our familiarity with it though, can sometimes undermine the weight of its meaning. When God speaks of making all things work together ‘for good’, what is this ‘good’ and how does He do it? What does our ‘designed purpose’ have to do with His intent to weave our lives in such a way? Ultimately we know as Christians that our purpose is to become more Christ-like. We’ll live that out in all kinds of different arenas, but the intended sum of all our actions and attention is that we’ll express His image in us more and more each day. So when God weaves the details of lives together ‘for good’, it means He makes sure the direction of every single one of our footsteps, sidesteps and detours, ultimately furthers that journey. In my life, I’ve seen God’s ‘good’ plan mean the end of friendships that’d had their season and the building of new ones. I’ve seen it bear peace through pain, and allow for celebration in the aftermath of heartache. Whenever you read that verse, let it remind you of God’s restorative power, and His ability to bring your life into line with His love, peace and enduring presence. #### Written by LAURA BENNETT