I like God because he holds the strings in his hands

Danny Fourie

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

God wants the best for you and me. What do I want more? The God who created heaven and earth, who in everything he does, proves that he likes me, he says here that he wants the best for me. Everything that happens in my life, he will use to my benefit. Everything. Therefore even the times I heard that I did not get the job; did not get the house that I so desperately wanted; heard that we would not have children; heard that our child's marriage is on the rocks – even then he wants the best for me.

It is not easy to get over these disappointments. And yet one can believe that God keeps his promises. He will use the disappointment for the good.

Perhaps you know the well-known example of the embroidery. When you look at the wrong side of the embroidery, you can hardly imagine what the other side, the embroidered side, would be like. Only when you turn the embroidery to the right side, you discover what have been made. Such is life too. Often we do not understand why some things happen and why other things do not happen.

Take the example of ancient Israel who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land of Canaan. Through the scorching heat they travelled endless distances through the desert. The only thing that they could hold on to or look up to was the cloud in which the Lord was and that showed them the way. Surely they must have asked themselves what good there was in their wandering. All they knew was that God was with them on the road to the Promised Land.

And we? We know God loves us and cares for us. In addition, we also know what our ultimate goal is: our destiny is to be with God one day and to now already show some of his glory to people.

Prayer: Lord, in many of the things that happen to us, we only see the wrong side of the embroidery. Help us to trust you in everything that crosses our path. Amen