Romans 8:28 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.
Many people are happy to hear the promise given above by God. Sometimes they discover that "good" is not necessarily the same as comfortable, prosperous, or even safe.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
When taken in context, we find that the "good" mentioned in verse 28 is towards the objective of making us like Jesus.
I like to think of it as a picture of God as a blacksmith. He picks us up with His tongs and examines us. He finds us nothing like the image of Jesus and plunges us back into the fire and then shapes us with His hammer. A second examination may find us a little closer to the image of Jesus.
This picture may fit in with the verse:
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
