Several years ago, a man was walking along a mountain road, and he saw an Indian lying in the middle of the road with his ear pressed to the ground. As he got near to the Indian, he heard him talking in broken English. The man was saying: "Truck. Chevy truck. Chevy pick-up truck. Large tires. Man driving. Large German Shepherd in front seat. Loaded with firewood. California license plate UBH 123." Needless to say, the man was astounded at what the Indian was saying. So, he looked to that Indian and said, "That's amazing. You mean you can tell all of that just by listening to the ground."   The Indian looked back, and said, "No, truck ran over me 30 minutes ago."

No doubt, as we go through this life, there are times when we feel as that Indian did.

We don't always know what's coming, but when it comes it  sometimes seems to run right over us.

But the fact of the matter is, that regardless of what we face, or find ourselves in, God has promised that He will cause it to turn out for our good and His glory.

You see, it's  true that we don't know the future, but thank God, we know the one who holds the future, and that makes all the difference in the world.

In Romans 8:28, we find, without question, one of the most  familiar, and most quoted verses in all of scripture.

In it we find described to us the person of God,  the power of God, and the presence of God in just a few words.

No doubt this verse has been read at many a funeral, or at a time of trouble.

It's this verse, that I believe Paul uses to demonstrate to us that, regardless of our plight, our position, or our problem, thanks be to God,  "He Knows What He's Doing!"

Briefly, let's examine this great verse, and see that He knows what He's doing because:

In the first part of verse 28, we see that our God knows what He's doing because He is working to develop us.
"And we know that all things work together.."  implying to us that in spite of the trials, tribulations, and troubles of life:

A. WE CAN BE CERTAIN OF HIS PROMISE

1. Paul writes and says, "And we know.."       we can be certain of His promise.

2. I believe that Romans 8:28, next to John 3:16,  is the greatest promise in the Bible.
For, what makes this promise so special is that it is something we can "know."

3. I've often heard people say, as you have,  "I just don't see how in the world God can cause this to turn out for my good."
Well, the problem with that is that this verse doesn't read,     "And we see that all things work together."

4. Also, I've often heard people say,  "This just doesn't feel right. There's something funny about this."
Well, this verse doesn't read,     "And we feel that all things work together."

5. Rather, Romans 8:28 reads, "And we know that all things work together."

 Thank God, we may not be able to see it, touch it, smell it, or feel it; but, we can know it, and we can be certain of His promise.

6. I like how the great Puritan, Thomas Watson said it, "Where reasons cannot wade, faith must swim."

You see, this is a promise that God has given to us.  Though we may not understand it, thank God, we can stand on it.
We don't have to understand it to stand on it.

7. we can rest assured whether it be famine, or flood, distress or disease, sorrow or sickness, calamity or commotion; or, travail or trouble,
                        He is taking and including ALL things for my good and His glory.

We Can Be Certain Of His Promise!

B. WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IN HIS PROGRAM

1. Not only in the first part of verse 28 can be certain of His promise, but we can be confident in His program.

2."And we know that all things work together."
 I want you to pay particular attention to the phrase "work together."

Those words speak of ‘cooperating, or contributing toward an end or a goal.
The words describe a fellow worker laboring with someone to  achieve the set goal.

3. what Paul is describing here is the program of God Almighty.

He is telling us that just like those employees are working together,  in sync to perform the job, so the ways, works, and woes of this life  work together in His timing to work together in our lives.  Therefore, we can be confident in His program for our lives.

I read recently of a very startling statistic that told how most Americans consume 2 deadly poisons everyday. They are called sodium and chloride. Either one, taken alone, can easily kill you. However, taken together they form sodium chloride.
Of course, the common name for that composition is table salt.

You see, the marvel of this is that either one of those things, taken  alone, can kill you. But, both taken together can bless you.

4. You see, we may not always enjoy the different ingredients of this life. Some may be bitter, some may be sweet, and some may be sour.  Though, one by itself may harm us, thank God, He is taking all those ingredients, mixing them together, and forming something that will be a great blessing to us.  It's all a part of His master plan and program.

Not only do we see that He knows what He's doing because He is working to develop us, but He is willing to deliver us.
I want us to focus primarily upon the word "good" in this verse.

By observing this word, he speaks of:

A. THE DISAPPOINTMENTS THAT ARE FACED

1. Notice again the writer says that
"we know that all things work together for good.."

he's implying that through this life there are disappointments that we will face.

2. You see, he is really wanting us to buckle down to reality, and realize that it's not "all honey, no bees; all flowers, and no trees."

3. The fact of the matter is that the longer we live this life, the longer we find heartache, heart break, and disappointments.

4. Therefore, by his use of the word "good," and by reminding us that "all things are working together for good,"
he's implying that there are going to be bumps, bruises, and battles in this life.
 

B. THE APPOINTMENTS THAT ARE FORMED

1. Not only does he speak of the disappointments that are faced, but the appointments that are formed.

2. Observe, again, those words,  "And we know that all things work together for good."
what the writer is speaking of here is not only a promise,  but of a providence; the providence of God.

3. You see, though there be disappointments in this life,  these serve as His Appointments.

4. I like how the great lady Corrie Ten Boom said it,
   "There is no panic in heaven, only plans!"

Thank God, though what we face may seem to be a disaster,
      God has something in mind.

Though what we face may seem to be a rock that cannot be moved.
God will take that rock and use it as a stepping stone to greater things.

5.         I like how the poet said it:

6. though it may seem that our plans fall apart, He never falls apart, and He makes no mistakes.

7. I think of the great Old Testament figure, by the name of Joseph.

He was kidnapped by his brothers,
sold into slavery,
taken into a foreign land,
thrown into prison on false charges,
and left to rot in jail.

8. However, in time, God took him from the prison to the palace, and made him Prime Minister over all of Egypt.

9. His brothers, then, who hadn't seen him for 17 years, came to Egypt because of a famine.
When they first met Joseph, they didn't recognize him, but he  recognized them.
After awhile, he revealed himself to them. Needless to say, they  were immediately frightened because they remembered what they  had done to him, and thought that he might vindicate himself and get  back at them.
BUT, Joseph, now a groomed young man, sure of the plan, the providence, and purpose of God,
said to them in Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

10. Joseph could testify that through it all, thank God, He makes no mistakes.

Friend, did it ever occur to you, nothing ever occurred to God.
Though there be The Disappointments That Are Faced, there is The Appointments That Are Formed.
Through it all, He knows what He's doing,  because He Is Willing To Deliver Us!

We move now to see that not only does He know what He's doing because He is working to develop us, and He is willing to deliver us; but, He is watching to direct us.

I believe that the last part of verse 28 is the most important part of verse 28.

For, in it we see that:
A. WE ARE DIRECTED BY TRANSFORMATION

1. Notice, again, this promise is available to  "them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
  we see that we are directed by transformation.

2. You see, those words are reserved for an exclusive group. The lost man cannot claim the promise of verse 28.
The unbeliever doesn't know about the wonder of these words.

3. Rather, this promise is exclusively reserved for those who are in Christ.
This promise is only available to the believer.

Notice, again,
"all things only work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

4. The word "called" is an interesting word.
The word speaks of ‘a summons being issued.'
The word describes a court official delivering a subpoena to get someone to testify in a case.

5. You see, that subpoena is reserved for just one person.
The person who is to testify.  so it is with us, those who are saved are the "called."

We have received a divine summons from the oval office of heaven,  and the Great Judge has subpoenaed us to testify of His   saving grace.

6. You see, there are two types of calls in the Bible.
One, is the general call, which applies to everyone.
The other is the effectual call, which applies to those who have been called to the gospel.

The effectual call is generated by the Holy Ghost when He regenerates that lost person and enables him to respond to the gospel that he's heard.  While I can call men to salvation, only God call men to the Savior.

7. only we who are saved can enjoy this glorious, and gracious promise. For, we are directed by transformation.

8. those who are saved have heard the effectual call of God to our lives.
it's because of that that we can enjoy the provision, promise, and power of this verse.

For, we're not only directed,  but We Are Directed By Transformation!

B. WE ARE DIRECTED TO CONFORMATION

1. Not only do we see that we are directed by transformation, but we are directed to conformation.
Someone might ask,
  "Why does God develop us, deliver us, and direct us?"

2. Paul gives a very clear answer to that question, in verse 29.
He tells us that God's whole purpose in directing our lives is so that we may "be conformed to the image of his Son."
You see, the first part of verse 29, speaks of that spoken of in the last part of verse 28.

3. Those "whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate," speaks of those who have "called according to his purpose."

Those of us who belong to the redeemed throng have been predestined, not only to be saved, but to be sanctified, and be conformed unto the image of our Lord.
 We are directed to conformation.

I'm sure most of you have heard the story of the sculptor who had carved a gigantic elephant out of a rock. When somebody asked him how he did it, he said, "Oh, it was easy. I just started with this big block of granite, and chiseled away everything that didn't look like an elephant!"

4. that's exactly what God is doing with our lives.  It may be through sickness, sorrow, despair, doubt, fear, or famine; but, through it all, He is chiseling away anything that doesn't make us more like the Lord Jesus.

5. you may be facing the trial of your life. But, through that trial God is developing you, delivering you, and directing you to be a better reflection of His Son.

I thank the Lord that we are recipients of this blessed promise.

For, We Are Directed By Transformation,  and We Are Directed To Conformation!

I believe you would agree with me, when I say,  that He knows what He's doing because He Is Watching To Direct Us!

Years ago, I read a Norwegian story about a Norwegian fisherman who was out fishing off the coast of Norway with his two sons. They were pulling on the boat with their oars, quite a ways off the coast, when a horrible storm came up.  The clouds descended, the sky blackened, the lightened flashed, and the waves began to whip around that little boat.   With all the turbulence, they had lost sight of the shore, and they had no compass to direct them. Needless to say, they were extremely frightened, for they thought that would be swept out to the sea and die.

Then, the littlest son said, "Daddy, look!" They looked, and on the horizon they see a pinpoint of yellow light. The daddy said, "Let's steer for that light." So they did. All the way the father encouraged those boys to keep steering, and he would say, "Pull boys, pull!" As they got closer, the light seemed to get brighter. Then, after awhile, they could make out the shoreline, and then they could see harbor. So, they pulled up to dock, and they were safe.

As they were pulling up, the wife of that fisherman came out running down to the ship, frantic and crying. She said, "Oh my, something terrible has happened." He replied, "what happened?" She said, "It's our house. It has gone up in flames. I couldn't help it. I was cooking and the skillet caught fire, and then the kitchen, and then the whole house. The neighbors came, but they couldn't stop it, and we have lost everything. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" About that time that husband looked back to that wife, and said, "It's OK,. You see, had our house not gone up in flames, you would have lost your husband and your two sons. For, it was the light of those fire that guided us home!"

Friend, it may be that you are in the midst of something that has left you speechless.

You are facing the greatest trial of your life.

However, be it death, despair, doubt,  or depression.

Be it sorrow,  sickness, stress, or strain.

Be it trouble, tribulation, or trial, He knows what He's doing.

                                    I Praise His name that:

we can sing with the songwriter:
                    "I trust in God, I know He cares for me.
                    On mountain peak, or on the stormy sea
                    Though billows roll, He keeps my soul,
                    My heavenly Father watches over me!"

I don't believe that you would disagree with me,  today, when I say, "He Knows What He's Doing!"