It’s easy to see the work of God’s hands when things are going right—a promotion, a new baby, or a financial windfall. But what about when things go wrong? How could God possibly make good out of illness, death, or betrayal?

In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul boldly asserts that God uses all the circumstances of our lives—good and bad—to express his love for us. In When Your Days Are Dark, God Is Still Good, Gary Zimak—author of the bestselling and award-winning Give Up Worry for Lent!—shares personal stories and scripture narratives to show you that God is not only present in your pain but also uses your pain to transform you into a holier, more compassionate person.

St. Paul’s confidence was born of conviction as one who had endured great suffering for the Gospel—and had found God faithful. Zimak looks at the story of Paul and other biblical figures in both the Old and New Testaments to show how God used their painful circumstances to bring about good, including:

• Adam and Eve eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—God didn’t abandon them, but sent his Son to undo their disobedience;
• The death of Lazarus—Jesus’s miracle of raising Lazarus brought many to believe in him;
• The disciples on the road to Emmaus were lamenting the death of Jesus—they met the risen Lord, whom they did not know until he broke bread and gave it to them;
• Hagar, the maid of Abraham’s wife Sarah, is used to give Abraham a son—though she was cast out by Sarah, God made her son the founder of a great nation;
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who suffered religious persecution at the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—God kept them unharmed when they were thrown into a fire for not bowing to a golden image. Their safety caused the conversion of the king; and
• The apostles in the upper room in fear after Jesus’s death and Resurrection—Jesus visited them in the locked room and brought the gift of peace through the Holy Spirit.