“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.”

— Romans 8:28

Have you ever had a rock and wished you could change it into a diamond? Years ago, before the advent of chemistry, a science called alchemy existed, and alchemists had a similar passion: finding a way to transform worthless metals into gold. Of course, they never succeeded.

But God is the master alchemist. He has a passion for taking all things and working them for good. Charles Spurgeon tells about one man who had complete faith that God would work everything for his good. During the reign of Queen Mary I of England, this man was captured for preaching the Gospel. He received the sentence of being burned alive at the stake in London. When he heard the sentence, he said, “Well, never mind. God will work all things together for my good. I don’t know how, but He will.” On his way to London, the guards treated the man roughly. In fact, they even threw him down to the ground, and in doing so, they broke his leg. Then they mocked the man, saying, “Well, tell us how this will work together for your good.” He said, “I don’t know, but it will.” Before they could continue their trip, the guards had to take time to put the man’s leg into a splint. Because of this delay, the group arrived in London a day later than the guards had planned. But the night before they arrived, Queen Mary died, and Elizabeth had taken the throne. Instead of burning the man at the stake, Elizabeth pardoned him. So, although his broken leg was a bad thing, God used it for his good, saving his life through the delay it caused.

Do circumstances often seem to work in opposition to your expectations? Do you sometimes despair of any good coming from your situation? Remember that God is in charge. He sees the big picture; He knows the future. He controls all things, and He loves you more than you can imagine. Through your experiences, He’ll shape you, transforming you into the best person you can be. Trust Him and even thank Him for situations that seem bad, because He works all things together for your good.

“God, the mighty alchemist, transforms
the lead of our lives into gold.”