​Throughout this past year and the years preceding it, the profound comfort I derive from knowing God’s providence has often been mingled with a sobering realisation: His providence does not exempt me from pain in my walk with Christ.

​I do not look forward to the experience of suffering with giddy anticipation or a smile on my face. To imply otherwise would be dishonest. Rather, there have been many times when it was necessary for me, and those around me, to simply grit our teeth and bear the burdens of the day during seasons of suffering.

​I have no doubts regarding God’s goodness or the ultimate outcome of such affliction. Yet, at the same time, I know that there are trials that will test me to the absolute limits of my faith and endurance. This knowledge has helped me understand the deep tension between confidence in God’s sovereign providence and my own struggles with anxious thoughts about what the future holds.

​The Anchor of Romans 8:28

​Romans 8:28 is a favourite for many Christians, myself included:

​“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (NKJV)

One could easily argue that no other text in the New Testament demonstrates the beauty of God’s sovereign providence as clearly and magnificently as this one. While there are certainly other verses that speak to this, Romans 8:28 stands out distinctly.

​It is crucial to note what the text does not say. It does not promise that everything happening to us, considered in and of itself, is “good.” Instead, it promises that all things are working together for our good. That is the master plan of God’s redemptive providence.

​God brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction.

​This remains one of the most challenging truths of sacred Scripture to internalise. I have reminded myself countless times that while it is easy to believe in God, it is far more difficult to believe God.

​From the Mind to the Bloodstream

​Faith involves living a life of active trust in the Word of God. As I continue to live out the travail that accompanies life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself of the reality: What I am experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, and is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good.

​If God were not sovereign, I could never come to that comforting and liberating conclusion. Without His sovereignty, I would be constantly subjected to fear and anxiety, devoid of significant relief or hope. This promise—that all things work together for good to those who love God—must penetrate deeper than just our minds. It must get into our bloodstreams. It must become the rock-solid principle by which life is lived, from now until the day we see Him in glory.

​The Foundation of True Joy

​I believe this deep trust is the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit—specifically joy—is established. It is this foundation that makes it possible for Christians to rejoice even in the midst of pain and anxiety.

​We are not called to be Stoics, keeping a “stiff upper lip” out of some nebulous concept of fate or resignation. Instead, we are those who rejoice because Christ has overcome the world. It is that truth, and that certainty alone, which gives relief to all our anxieties.