Do all things work for good and what effect do praise and thanks have?

Romans 8:28 is often translated as follows:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.^[1] The biblical citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless stated otherwise. Others: King James Version (KJV), New International Version (NIV), World English Bible (WEB)

All things include also illness and poverty for example. But are these things really working for good to us? If these things work for good, why should God deliver us from them?

Let’s see what’s written in Greek:

We know now that to those loving God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose (see Bible Hub).

Who is doing something? “The God” (nominative).
What is God doing? He “works together” (verb).
What does God work together? “All (all things)” (accusative), namely “for good.”

The things don’t do anything, but God acts, he is the one who does something with them. This verse confirms God’s promise that he is doing good to his children.

The epistle to the Thessalonians states:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Thess 5:18)

We should be thankful in everything; we should give thanks to God in all suffering, that means despite the suffering.

In Ephesians 5:20 Paul wrote about giving thanks to God for everything, but this is not to be understood literally. Because, if God wanted us to be thankful for illness, for example, then it would not be according to his will if we pray for health. If we should be thankful for truly everything, then it would even follow that we should not ask God for any change; because when we ask for change, we are expressing that we are not completely satisfied with something, i.e. for something we are not thankful. This would be completely absurd. In my article “What Commandments should Christians keep?” I show in the section regarding the epistle to the Romans that there are other text passages in the New Testament where the word “everything” or “anything” (in Greek „pás“) cannot be understood literally. We should not be thankful for illness or poverty. But we should give thanks to God even when we are suffering, i.e. despite illness, poverty and other issues.

Paul encouraged:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Phil 4:6)

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:17)

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Col 4:2)

The psalmist Asaph sang that God said:

¹⁴ Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. ¹⁵ Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me. …
²³ Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, And prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him. (Ps 50:14‑23 WEB)

Thanksgiving paves the way to God’s salvation. The Hebrew word “yesha”, translated here as “salvation”, also means deliverance, rescue, safety and welfare.

The Aramean Naaman was only seen by the prophet Elisha when he came to thank him with a gift; when he had previously come to ask for healing, Elisha had not spoken to him, but had only sent a messenger (2Kgs 5:1‑19). We, too, may present our requests and other concerns to God. However, it is our thanksgiving that brings us into his presence. When we thank God, we praise him. David wrote about God:

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. (Ps 22:3)

Through our praise, we draw closer to God. James wrote:

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (Jam 4:8)

So…

…let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. (Heb 13:15)

¹ A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! ² Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! … ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Ps 100:1‑4)

David had realized:

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. (Ps 18:3 KJV)

The Bible tells us about some miracles that happened after God was praised:

• Jonah prayed from inside the fish: “I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you.” And immediately God commanded the fish to spit him out onto dry land. (Jonah 2:9‑10)
• Jehoshaphat placed singers in front of the Jewish soldiers to sing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” And when they began to sing and praise, Israel’s enemies killed each other. (2Chr 20:21‑24)
• Paul and Silas sang hymns to God in prison. Then there was a great earthquake, the foundations of the prison were shaken, the doors were opened and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. (Acts 16:25‑26)

We may thank God for what he has already done good to us and for what he will still do.

¹ Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ² Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, ³ who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, ⁵ who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ⁶ The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. (Ps 103:1‑6)