God’s Promise and Scripture

God’s Promise: God works all things together for good.

Scripture: 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 NIV)

Devotional

If you were to tell 12-year-old Erin what her life would look like in 2025, she would have looked at you like you were crazy. And that’s because when you read my story, it becomes clear that it is truly by a miracle and God’s sovereignty that I have the life I do today.

I grew up in Central Minnesota in a very tumultuous family that did not attend church or have a faith in Christ. From what I can remember, my childhood was very normal. But from about the age of 9 and on, my parents went through a long divorce filled with alcohol, fighting, and instability for my brother and me. In the midst of the divorce, my brother ended up going to live in a group home. Little Erin was so lost. I was searching for love and belonging anywhere I could, and sadly, I didn’t find it anywhere. It landed me in a place where, at the age of 12, I was depressed, self-harming, and convinced that everyone would probably be better off without me.

Looking at my life at that time, nobody would’ve guessed I would have come to know Jesus…and if my life had stayed on that trajectory, there’s a high likelihood I wouldn’t be here today.

Oh, but God.

At that time, my brother was living in a group home with a couple who went to church every Sunday. They started bringing my brother to their youth group each week. I hadn’t heard from him in months, but one day he randomly called and asked if I wanted to go to church with him—and surprisingly, I said yes. I showed up at that church for the first time in my life, and the moment worship started, I broke down crying. Looking back, I believe I was feeling a love and a hope that I had never experienced before. A leader brought me into the back of the room and sat with me as I poured out everything going on in my head and heart. She prayed with me and gave me my first Bible.

And the rest is His-story.

God used a broken household to bring my brother into a home of people who loved Jesus, who then invited me to church so that I could come to know Jesus.

Thinking back on how I came to know the Lord reminds me that what the enemy meant for evil, God used for good (Genesis 50:20). God has called us by name (Isaiah 43:1). And He truly does work all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

My life is living proof that if God wants us, He will get us. I wasn’t raised to know Him. I never went looking for Him. But He came looking for me. He placed me in a church, He opened my heart, He revealed His love, and He continues to lead me into His plans—plans that are higher, better, and more beautiful than anything I could have created for myself.

Whatever impossible situation is in front of you right now, be reminded that God does not work in the way we think He should work. My story isn’t amazing because of anything I did—it’s amazing because of what Jesus did in my life. Romans 8:28 tells us that “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him,” and my life is living proof of that truth. The same God who met me in my darkest moment is the God Who sent His Son to rescue you, redeem you, and give you a new story. If you feel lost, unseen, or too far gone, hear this: Jesus is pursuing you. He is ready to step into your brokenness and work all things—even the things meant to harm you—for your good and for His glory.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Is there any part of your life that you don’t believe God can redeem?

2. Romans 8:28 says God works *all things* for good for those who love Him. What “all things” from your own story do you see Him using for good now?

3. What parts of your story could God be inviting you to share to encourage someone else?