Jeremiah 29:11
About this verseGod tells his people in exile that his intentions toward them are for their good, not their harm, and that he is holding a hopeful future for them.
Romans 8:28
For those who love God and are called by him, God is at work in every circumstance, weaving it together for their good.
We know that, for people who love God, all things work together and lead to good. They are the ones called in keeping with his purpose.
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Say the verse aloud, filling in each blank. Tap a blank for a hint.
What Romans 8:28 means
Paul does not say every thing is good, but that God weaves all things — including the painful ones — together for good in the lives of those who love him. The good he has in view is ultimately being shaped into the likeness of Christ (the very next verse).
This is not a slogan to wave over someone’s grief, but a deep confidence for the long run: nothing is wasted in God’s hands. Memorising it gives you an anchor for the seasons when you cannot yet see how a hard thing could ever be redeemed.
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Questions about Romans 8:28
What does Romans 8:28 mean?
It promises that God works everything in a believer’s life — even suffering — together toward good, according to his purpose. It doesn’t call hard things good; it says God brings good out of them.
Does Romans 8:28 mean nothing bad will happen?
No. It assumes hard things happen. The promise is that God is able to bring good out of all of them for those who love him, ultimately conforming them to the image of Christ.