Once there was a man who went to prison, and as he lay in bed on his first night, he heard someone call out, “49”, which was then followed by laughter from all the other prisoners.
Then another prisoner called out, “26”, which was followed by even more laughs.
When the new prisoner asked what was happening, he was told that the inmates have heard every joke so many times that they’ve given each joke a number to make things simpler.
So, the new inmate called out, “23”, but nobody laughed.
When he asked why his joke didn’t get a laugh, they said, “it’s the way you told it.”
Some verses in the Bible are so well known that we just need to say the reference in order to bring to mind the word of comfort and assurance.
The reference “Romans 8:28” is one of them:
“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.”
When it feels like life is spinning out of control, we must remember, “Romans 8:28”.
When we are uncertain about the future, we can tell each other, “Romans 8:28”.
When things happen that are hard to accept, we can assure each other by saying, “Romans 8:28”.
We need to remember that God works in all things for the good of those who love him, and we are right to find great comfort in this assurance.
We never know what is in store for us, but we must always remember that nothing takes God by surprise.
And you can be sure that “Romans 8:28” will be a great source of comfort and assurance, no matter how you tell it.
JODIE McNEILL