Philip Yancey on the redemptive work of God:

I once was part of a small group with a Christian leader whose name you would likely recognize. He went through a hard time as his adult children got into trouble, bringing him sleepless nights and expensive attorney fees. Worse, my friend was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Nothing in his life seemed to work out.

"I have no problem believing in a good God," he said to us one night. "My question is, 'What is God good for?'"

We listened to his complaints and tried various responses, but he batted them all away. A few weeks later, I came across a little phrase by Dallas Willard: "For those who love God, nothing irredeemable can happen to you." I went back to my friend.

"What about that?" I asked. "Is God good for that promise?"