Well friends, I have already failed at my goal I set out for – to post 1-2x a month on my blog. I only posted once in October and absolutely nothing for the month of November, but it’s okay.
Sometimes life sends storms of waves to us that completely knock us down and derail our plans. Let me tell you, October and November threw some painful waves at me that I never saw coming and was not prepared to go up against. To be honest with you, I’m still in the middle of the chaos, gasping for air at the surface when I can, and am processing a lot day-to-day. I know one day this chaos will be brought to order and will be a powerful part of my testimony. I hope one day, when I’m on the other side of the pain, I can share my story and help others experiencing similar chaos.
Until then, I want to share with you a message that has been heavy on my heart as I walk through this storm – a message that I hope you can hold onto you as you walk into a new year, new possibilities and even through your own storms in life. It is a message that was given to me right before the waves crashed upon me. It is a message that I had no idea I would hold onto so tightly. It is a simple message of truth:
Even when our circumstances are not, God is always good.
When prayers have been answered how we want, or when things happen the way we want them to it is so easy to say, “God is good!” But are you able to say it – do you even believe it – when things are not good or do not go how we want them to? Because the truth is, God is good and He doesn’t change based on our circumstances. Our opinion of God may change based on our circumstances, but our opinions are not truth.
Jesus tells us in Mark 10:18 that “No one is good but One, that is, God.”
No one. Not even Jesus wanted to be called good, because he knew the real source of truth and goodness comes only from the Father.
David proclaimed God’s goodness over and over again throughout his Psalms:
“You are good, and do good; teach me your statutes.” (Psalm 119:68)
“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!” (Psalm 107:1)
“The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” (Psalm 145:9)
New Testament writers continue:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is not variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)
And the list goes on…
Even when Scripture doesn’t directly say God is good, we can see His goodness in the lives of each and every man and woman in the Bible. We see His ultimate goodness in the death and resurrection of His son Jesus.
There is a lot of bad in this world. We all carry it. There is pain, heartache, injustice, and the evil ones uses all of it to turn us away from God and to deceive us into believing that God is not good. If we pause for just a moment, though, we can see His goodness in our lives as well. A lot of times it’s in the small and seemingly insignificant and mundane things, but it’s there. In a flood of heartache and tears, it’s a brief whisper of peace and comfort. In the paralyzing pain, it’s the small ounce of strength to get out of bed or take the next step forward. In the overwhelming evil of this world, it’s the promise that a perfect eternity awaits us.
My dear friend, I do not know the specific hurt or burden you carry. I do know it’s not easy. I know the trauma, the triggers, the emotions can seem unbearable at times. I know that in the midst of all the bad, it’s hard to believe that anything is good. As we go into the new year, though, I pray that you seek God’s goodness through it all. He will reveal it to you. I challenge you (and myself) to seek Him first when you’re hurting – before turning to others, to social media, to substances or to any other idol you have. Let the goodness of the God of the universe flood your heart, your mind and your circumstances. If you aren’t sure how to start, just take any of the verses I shared above to meditate and pray on. Ask God to reveal the goodness in his character and in your life.
2019, overall, was not a good year, for me; but it is the year that I truly discovered God’s goodness and that, my friends, is the best good thing I could have received this year. I wish this discovery for you as well. It will not take away the storms in your life, but it will help you tread through them with more strength and grace, looking forward to the greater goodness God has in store for you. “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)
Comments