Romans 8:28 KJV 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.

Auguste Bartholdi traveled to Egypt from France in 1856. His mind was stirred by the magnificence of the pyramids, the greatness of the mighty Nile, and the splendor of the Sphinx of the desert. While there, he met a man who was there to sell an idea to cut a canal from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. This canal would save ships time from the long journey around the tip of the African continent. Auguste was inspired by the concept and decided to design a lighthouse for entrance to this canal. In his mind, it had to be special; it could not be just an ordinary lighthouse.

In the ten years it took to build the Suez Canal, Auguste drew concepts, made models, and trashed plans. Finally, he came up with what he considered a perfect design. Now he faced his biggest problem: Who would pay for it? He tried everywhere, but no one was impressed enough to fund his dream. The Suez Canal did open, and it did so without a lighthouse. Auguste went back to France crushed; ten years of work, time, and effort wasted.

Auguste’s final draft was something you and I would truly love! It was a gigantic robed lady that stood higher than the Sphinx. She had a book of justice in one hand and a torch held high in the other to light the way.

After Auguste finally returned home, the French government requested his services to design a gift for America. The Statue of Liberty that lights the New York harbor shows that disappointment can often be the beginning of good things beyond what we could have ever imagined.

We may become discouraged in our lives when we feel as if our dreams and desires have been crushed and defeated. I have found so much hope and peace by leaning on the words that Paul penned to the church at Rome. Romans 8:28 KJV 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.

In life, I have learned the importance of understanding my position. I am in the middle of my life, and there are just some things that I cannot see because of my position. Yet, I also know that God is everywhere. Because of this, He is before me, behind me, above me, below me, and in me. This gives Him the ability to see things from a much better vantage point. Some days, I may feel as though I am stuck, and nothing is working for any good at all. God sees me growing, and He knows the very things that are blocking me from the ultimate purpose He has for me. Even the things I may feel are important can often times be the very things God is trying to remove from me because they are keeping me from His purpose.

To truly understand Romans 8:28, we must comprehend the whole verse. All things work together for good, if I love God and know that He has a purpose for my life. Far too often we get in trouble when our desires do not line up with His purpose. There is a process, and we always do better with disappointments and defeat when we know He has a plan for us.

Each of us are a work in progress. He sees all that we can become, and He will use our circumstances, both good and bad, to ultimately bring about His purpose if we are willing to trust Him through the process. Trust in God. With Him all things work out for our Good!