“Nothing that happens to us escapes God’s notice and care; not a tear falls to the ground that He does not remember. When we suffer, it is a great comfort to know that God is for us—everything that we live through will be put to use for our good.” (Foundation Study Bible, Psalms 56:8)
“From our limited vantage point, our lives are marked by an endless series of contingencies. We frequently find ourselves, instead of acting as we planned, reacting to an unexpected turn of events. We make plans but are often forced to change those plans. But there are no contingencies with God. Our unexpected, forced change of plans is a part of His plan. God is never surprised; never caught off guard; never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and our good.” (Jerry Bridges)
“God works in “everything” – not just isolated incidents - for our own good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long-range good.” (Life Application Study Bible, Romans 8:28)
“To believe that moral goodness will result in a good life is also a simplistic understanding of God’s purposes for us. He is infinitely wise, can see the end from the beginning, and has good purposes for us hidden on the far side of the wilderness. Just as Job’s patience in suffering turned him into an example that has helped hundreds of millions of people, and just as Jesus’ temptations prepared Him for his history-changing and world-saving career, so God’s Spirit leads us into our wildernesses for our good.” (Pastor Timothy Keller)
“When faced with crushing troubles, we can have faith that God is using our trials for our good and for His glory… When our lives fall apart, we also should turn to God for direction and help” (Life Application Study Bible, 2 Thessalonians 1:4, Joshua 7:6)