God Works All Things Together
Month 2: The God Who Keeps Promises · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Romans 8:28 & Genesis 45:7-8
28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. — Romans 8:28
7 God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. — Genesis 45:7-8
Memory Verse
“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”— Genesis 50:20 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Numbers 1–2
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 54 of 365 — counting and arranging the tribes of Israel.)The Heart of It
When Joseph finally tells his brothers who he is, he says something amazing: "God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you... So now it was not you who sent me here, but God" (). Look closely. The brothers really did sell him, and Joseph says God sent him. That is not a contradiction. It is how God works. He doesn't only fix bad things after they happen. He is in charge of the whole story from the start. Even when people freely choose evil, He is wise enough and strong enough to weave their actions into His promise to bless the whole world through Abraham's family ().
Centuries later, Paul wrote it as a promise for every believer: "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (). Notice it says all things, not just the nice ones. And notice it says work together, like ingredients in a recipe. Flour alone tastes terrible. Raw eggs are worse. But the Baker knows how to combine them into something good. We can believe this. Not because our feelings tell us, but because God showed us with Joseph that He really does this. The Joseph story is God's evidence. He wrote it down so we would trust Him in our own pit-and-prison seasons.
Around the Table
God can take sad things and mix them into something good, like a baker turning yucky raw eggs into a yummy cake!
Let's do it: Pretend to stir a big bowl and say, "God works ALL things together for good!"
Joseph said God sent him to Egypt, even though his brothers did the selling. God was in charge the whole time.
Let's talk: What is the difference between "everything is good" and "God works everything together for good"?
This promise doesn't say every single event is good. It says God weaves all of them toward good for those who love Him ().
Let's go deeper: Why does it matter that the promise is for "those who love God" and not a guarantee for everyone, everywhere?
💬 Conversation Starter
Think of a meal where the raw ingredients sounded gross but the finished dish was delicious. How is that like Romans 8:28?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "If God is good, why do bad things happen?" we can answer kindly and confidently. God never calls evil good. But He is strong enough to bring good out of evil. He proved it with Joseph. And He proved it most of all at the Cross, where the worst injustice in history became our rescue. We don't always see how He is working. But the empty tomb gives us reason to trust that He is ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
The intersection of human responsibility and divine sovereignty is one of the toughest questions thoughtful kids will eventually ask. Usually they ask it right after they get hurt. and let you hold both without flinching. God is not the author of evil, yet nothing is outside His governing purpose. Resist two ditches. The first is the "everything happens for a reason" sentimentality that excuses sin. The second is the fearful theology that imagines God scrambling to recover from surprises. Teach your children a God who is neither cruel nor weak, but wise and faithful. Your calm confidence in His sovereignty will preach louder than your words.
Draws on: Natasha Crain, Talking with Your Kids about God.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, we believe You work all things together for good, even the parts we don't understand. Help us love You and trust You the way Joseph did. We know You are always in charge. In Jesus' name, amen."
God doesn't waste my hard days. He works all of them together for good.