God’s Presence and Purpose in Life’s Hardships

Devotional

Day 1: God Works for Good in All Things, Not All Things Are Good

Even in the midst of suffering, heartbreak, and unanswered questions, God is present and actively weaving together the pieces of our lives for our ultimate good. This does not mean that everything we experience is good or that God causes evil, but rather that God is able to redeem even the darkest chapters and use them to form Christ-like character within us. When life feels confusing or painful, we can trust that God is not passively watching but is intimately involved, working for our good and His purpose. [12:19]

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers."

Reflection: What is one area of your life right now that feels confusing or painful, and how can you invite God to weave His good purpose into that situation today?

Day 2: God’s Presence Is Our Greatest Comfort in Suffering

When we walk through seasons of pain, betrayal, or uncertainty, God does not promise us tidy explanations or reasons for our suffering. Instead, He promises His presence—Emmanuel, God with us. Like Joseph in the darkest chapters of his life, we may not understand the “why,” but we are assured that God is with us, guiding, comforting, and sustaining us through every trial. The presence of God is not a small comfort; it is the heartbeat of hope that carries us through until our faith becomes sight. [24:49]

Genesis 39:20-23 (ESV)
"And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed."

Reflection: In what specific way can you seek or acknowledge God’s presence with you in a difficult circumstance this week?

Day 3: Call Evil What It Is—God Redeems, He Does Not Cause or Condone Evil

Scripture never asks us to minimize our pain or call darkness light. When we face betrayal, abuse, or evil, we are invited to name it honestly, just as Joseph did with his brothers. God does not cause or condone evil, but He specializes in redeeming what was meant for harm, weaving it into His greater plan for good. We do not have to pretend our wounds are blessings, but we can trust that God will not waste our pain and will bring redemption even from the worst chapters of our story. [32:04]

Genesis 50:19-21 (ESV)
"But Joseph said to them, 'Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.' Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

Reflection: Is there a painful experience in your life that you have tried to minimize or ignore? How can you honestly name it before God and invite Him to redeem it?

Day 4: The Cross Shows God’s Power to Redeem the Worst for the Greatest Good

At the cross, the greatest evil—Jesus, the sinless Son of God, being crucified—became the greatest good ever offered to humanity. God did not cause the evil, but He entered into it and overcame it, bringing salvation and hope through resurrection. When we bring our pain to God, we bring it to the One who carried it, not the One who caused it. The cross is where our suffering and God’s love meet, and it is the ultimate assurance that God can redeem even what seems irredeemable. [34:44]

Acts 2:23-24 (ESV)
"This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it."

Reflection: When you consider the cross, how does it change the way you view your own suffering or the suffering of others?

Day 5: Trust God to Write and Redeem Your Story

We often long for neat resolutions and clear reasons for every chapter of our lives, but God invites us to trust Him as the Author who sees the whole story. Even when we only see one page at a time, God is able to redeem every choice, every hardship, and every detour for His glory and our good. Surrendering our story to Jesus means allowing Him to form Christ in us, trusting that He is weaving together all things—even those we do not understand—into a masterpiece of redemption. [29:23]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to surrender control and trust God to write and redeem your story? What step can you take today to entrust it to Him?

Sermon Summary

Suffering is a reality for every person, and it’s something that even the earliest Christians faced deeply. Paul, writing to the church in Rome, acknowledges that the world is broken, that creation itself is groaning, and that we too groan as we wait for God’s ultimate redemption. In the midst of this, we often reach for comforting phrases like “everything happens for a reason,” but these words fall short when we’re in the thick of pain, loss, or confusion. What we truly need is not a tidy explanation, but the presence of God with us in our suffering.

Romans 8:28 is often misused as a promise that all things are good or that God causes every event, but that’s not what Paul is saying. Not everything is good—some things are evil, tragic, and should never have been. God does not script or condone evil, but He is present with us in it, actively working to redeem even the darkest chapters of our lives. The promise is not that we’ll always see the reason for our suffering, but that God is weaving all things together for the good of those who love Him. That “good” is not comfort or convenience, but Christlikeness—God forming the character of Jesus within us through every season, especially the hard ones.

The story of Joseph in Genesis illustrates this truth. Joseph’s life was marked by betrayal, false accusation, and years of waiting in darkness. Yet, through it all, the refrain is that “the Lord was with Joseph.” Joseph never received a neat explanation for his suffering, but he did receive God’s presence. When he finally stood before his brothers, he didn’t minimize their evil; he named it for what it was, but also recognized that God had woven even those painful threads into a story of redemption and salvation.

God’s sovereignty is not about rigging every detail, but about His ability to redeem every detail. He doesn’t waste the chapters of our lives, even the ones we would never have chosen. The cross is the ultimate example: the worst evil in history became the means of our salvation. We may not always get answers, but we are promised a Savior who is with us, who carries our pain, and who is working for our good and His glory. Our calling is to trust Him, to invite others into our pain, and to allow Him to form Christ in us, even when the story doesn’t make sense.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s presence is greater than explanations We often crave reasons for our suffering, but what we truly need is the presence of God with us. Explanations may never come, but God’s nearness is the comfort and strength that sustains us through every season. The promise throughout Scripture is not that we’ll always understand, but that God will never leave us alone. [25:11]
2. God redeems, but does not cause, evil Scripture never asks us to call evil good or to minimize our pain. God does not script or condone evil, but He specializes in redeeming what is broken. His sovereignty is seen not in controlling every detail, but in His power to bring good out of even the worst situations. [17:42]
3. The goal is Christlikeness, not comfort God’s ultimate good for us is not a life free from hardship, but a life where the character of Jesus is formed in us. Suffering, endurance, and perseverance are the tools God uses to shape us into the image of His Son. Our comfort is secondary to our transformation. [15:56]
4. Redemption is found in God’s weaving, not in tidy answers Like Joseph, we may never see the full reason for our pain, but we can trust that God is weaving every chapter—good and bad—into a story of redemption. The cross is the ultimate proof that God can turn the worst evil into the greatest good. [33:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:05] - Reading Romans 8:18-30
[02:46] - Suffering in the Early Church
[03:57] - Recap: Jesus Never Said That Series
[05:28] - The Comfort and Limits of “Everything Happens for a Reason”
[07:31] - Our Desire for Tidy Endings
[09:53] - Jesus Offers a Cross, Not a Cliché
[10:08] - The Tension of Suffering and Glory
[11:27] - The Spirit’s Intercession in Our Weakness
[12:19] - What Romans 8:28 Does and Doesn’t Say
[15:16] - God’s Good: Christlikeness, Not Comfort
[16:39] - God’s Sovereignty and Human Choice
[17:42] - God’s Specialty: Redemption
[19:01] - Joseph’s Story: Dreams and Detours
[23:55] - The Presence of God in Dark Chapters
[26:59] - Joseph’s Maturity Through Suffering
[30:15] - Joseph’s Response: God Intended It for Good
[32:31] - Naming Evil and God’s Response
[33:24] - The Cross: Evil Redeemed for Good
[35:47] - Our Response: Trusting God in the Unfinished Story
[39:59] - Invitation to Let Jesus Write Your Story
[42:24] - Closing Prayer and Song

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 8:18–30 (ESV) — - Genesis 50:19–21 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Romans 8:22–23, what does Paul say about creation and our own experience as believers? What word does he use to describe what both creation and we are doing? ([10:33])
According to Romans 8:28, what is the promise God gives to those who love Him? What does the passage NOT say about suffering and evil? ([12:19])
In Genesis 50:20, what does Joseph say to his brothers about their intentions and God’s intentions? How does Joseph describe what God was doing? ([30:52])
The sermon mentions that Joseph never received a neat explanation for his suffering, but he did receive something else. What was it? ([23:55])

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says that “God’s presence is greater than explanations.” Why might God’s presence be more important than having all the answers to our suffering? ([25:11])
How does the story of Joseph help us understand the difference between God causing evil and God redeeming evil? ([31:45])
According to the sermon, what is the “good” that God is working for in Romans 8:28? How is this different from comfort or convenience? ([15:56])
The sermon points out that Joseph names the evil done to him but also recognizes God’s redemption. Why is it important not to minimize pain or call evil “good”? ([32:04])

Application Questions

The sermon challenges us to trust God even when we don’t have tidy answers. Is there a situation in your life right now where you are waiting for an explanation or resolution? How might you invite God’s presence into that situation this week? ([25:11])
When you or someone you know is suffering, do you tend to reach for comforting phrases like “everything happens for a reason”? How could you offer the presence of God instead of just explanations or clichés? ([06:15])
Joseph invited others into his pain and allowed God to work in the dark chapters of his life. Is there a trusted friend or believer you could invite into your own struggles right now? What would it look like to let someone “sit with you” in your pain? ([36:57])
The sermon says that God’s goal is to form Christlikeness in us, not just to make us comfortable. Can you think of a recent hardship that has shaped your character or faith? How did God use that season to make you more like Jesus? ([15:56])
Joseph did not minimize the evil done to him, but he also did not let it define his story. Is there a hurt or betrayal in your life that you need to name honestly before God? How might you begin to trust God to redeem that part of your story? ([32:04])
The cross is described as the ultimate example of God redeeming evil for good. How does remembering Jesus’ suffering and resurrection help you face your own pain or unanswered questions? ([33:24])
The sermon invites us to write out Romans 8:28 in our own words for our current situation. Take a moment to do this now. What is your “this” that you need to entrust to God? ([36:57])

Sermon Clips

This is the moment where Jesus does not step in and give you a cliche. Everything happens for a reason. Jesus steps in and Jesus gives you a cross. Because we're going to make sense of that here in a little bit. Jesus does not give us a cliche. Jesus gives us a cross. And that's where we're coming from today. We want to come from the real gospel of Jesus, not this fake gospel of self-comfort. [00:09:47] (21 seconds) #NoClichesJustCross

So first, I want to tell you what Romans chapter 8, verse 28 does not say. It does not say that all things are good. All things are not good. They're not. In fact, some things are evil in this world. Some things are heartbreaking. Some things truly not should be. I'm going to say this a little bit later on in this message, but know this, the Bible does not tell us to call darkness light. The Bible doesn't tell us to do that. It tells us to call out darkness for what darkness is. [00:13:04] (30 seconds) #CallDarknessDarkness

God is not in heaven scripting abuse. God is not in heaven scripting tragedy. God is not in heaven scripting betrayal, if that's what you have experienced. You know what James taught us? James, the half-brother of Jesus, teaches us in James chapter 1 verse 13 and verse 17 that God, there's no evil in him, that God can't tempt people. And in fact, God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts. What does not come under the banner of good and perfect? Bad and evil, right? So bad and evil are not scripted by God to teach us a lesson. [00:13:43] (34 seconds) #GodDoesNotCauseEvil

It also does not say, one day you'll see the reason and all of this will make sense. If you read the book of Hebrews, you will see in the book of Hebrews that there are a lot of people who died before their faith came sight. And the same sadly may be true for many of us. We may not see the reason for the things we experience in this life on this side of glory. [00:14:19] (21 seconds) #FaithWithoutSight

What is your good? Verse 29 tells us what this good is. It's not comfort. It's not convenience. No, it's the Christ-like character of Jesus being formed within us. That's what God has in store for each person who believes, Christ-likeness. And that's what our good is. In all of these things, God is working towards our becoming like Jesus. We want a quick fix. We want a tidy ending. We want a neat answer. But what God gives us is the long, slow, sanctifying grace that makes us more and more like Jesus Christ through the hardness of life, through hardship, through endurance, through perseverance. [00:15:43] (40 seconds) #ChristlikeThroughHardship

Here's what I want to say to you this morning. This passage tells us that God is sovereign. So what does it mean that God is sovereign? It means that God is ruling. That God rules. That God reigns. But while God is ruling, we need to understand that God is not rigging. God is not rigging the things that go on within this earth. He rules over creation, but He does not predetermine every human decision. God is sovereign enough to understand that He needs to allow His creation to have choice. [00:16:32] (30 seconds) #GodRulesNotRiggs

This is why we avoid saying God allowed this for a reason. But we do say this, God can redeem this for His purpose. There's a difference in that. There's a big difference in that. And I need you to understand this morning this, redemption is God's specialty. It is God's specialty. God specializes in redeeming situations that seem beyond redemption. And His sovereignty is not seen best in His control of every detail, but His ability to redeem every detail. [00:17:30] (29 seconds) #RedemptionIsGodsSpecialty

If you take nothing else from this message, God can redeem whatever we choose. He can redeem whatever we choose, and he can redeem us if we choose Jesus, right? But God can take the bad circumstances of our lives, and he can bring good out of them. That's what we see in Joseph. That's what we see maybe sometimes in our lives. God does not waste chapters of our lives. [00:29:48] (21 seconds) #JesusBrokeEvilPower

You do not have to minimize your pain to magnify God's presence. If you've been hurt in this life, if you've been abandoned in this life, if you've been abused in this life, if you have been betrayed, the Bible does not tell you to sit there and look at it and say, that was awesome. It tells you to call it what it is. That was evil and it was intended for evil. And that's what Joseph is doing here. He's calling out evil for what it is. [00:32:09] (26 seconds) #GodCarriesOurPain

Joseph's happy ending of his story was not the point what was the point? It was his faithfulness Joseph's faithfulness was the point and in the final book of the Bible Revelation paints a picture about a day to come when every tear will be wiped away about death being ultimately defeated about sorrow being silenced and about all things being made new and that's the resolution that all of creation is groaning towards that's the resolution that we all crave but until that day until that day we have to trust that the God who is good who has our good in store is weaving it together when we can't see it. [00:35:44] (40 seconds) #TakeHeartJesusOvercame

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