Have you ever questioned whether God was good? It’s one of the most important questions for you to settle about the nature of God.
Your answer will make the challenges of your life easier or more difficult.
With every twist and turn of life comes a whisper…“God isn’t good. God doesn’t love you. God doesn’t care about you. God has failed you.”
Would it surprise you to know this is the first lie that Satan tells? The serpent calls into question God’s goodness in keeping Adam and Eve from eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. “If God is really good why wouldn’t He let you eat this fruit to have the same power He does? God is trying to harm you by keeping you from what your heart really desires. God is not really good.”
The goodness of God is one of the most talked about attributes in the Bible. I think it’s because it’s a lie we are still being told. Every time we receive some bad news we hear a whisper…God isn’t good.
You’re part of the cutbacks at work…God isn’t good
Your pregnancy wasn’t successful…God isn’t good
Your lump is cancerous…God isn’t good
Have you ever heard the whisper?
For those who don’t believe in God (yet), it’s always the first thing that’s questioned. “How could a good God allow such suffering in the world?”
Of course, almost every evil thing in this world is caused by people. The evil that bothers us the most is really human evil. God doesn’t rape people, shoot people, or keep people from food and clean water. Maybe we should really question our own goodness instead of God’s because we are allowing these things to happen.
The very fact that God allows His character to be questioned is evidence of His goodness.
Choosing not to believe in God doesn’t make the pain magically disappear.
One day you will hear the whisper…God isn’t good. And when you hear it your circumstances will seem to confirm it. But the truth of God’s goodness is the one thing that will help you get through the darkness. If you can anchor your soul here, you can ride out the storm.
God’s goodness is so hard to see when you’re going through it. You’ll think this challenge is different than the other ones. It’s bigger. God will abandon me.
But it’s a lie…just like the first lie ever told.
At just the right time, like all the times before, God’s goodness shines through when all hope seems lost. And you’ll wonder why you ever doubted it.
To get to some of the mountains God has for you, you’ll have to travel some rough terrain. It’s easiest to see God’s goodness looking backwards on your journey. You can see how difficult circumstances worked out. It’s harder to see His goodness when you’re looking ahead. It’s why you need to be convinced that God is always good. Even though what you are going through now doesn’t feel good…it’s not the end of the story. It’s just another chapter of God’s faithfulness and grace to you.
When we try to take new ground we forget the ground is occupied by an enemy who doesn’t want to give it up. Expect a battle and the battle will challenge what you believe about God’s goodness.
Where have you seen the goodness of God in your life?
Maybe you’ve seen His goodness shine through in a financial crisis or a health scare. Listen, the same God who led you through that valley will lead you through this one. I know, I know…this one is different. This is the impossible one.
Believe in the goodness of God.
The same God who was with you then is with you now. The same God who was with you when you were born will be with you all the days of your life.
God is not evil. God is good.
So if you are going through something where you’ve heard the lie, “God isn’t good,” remember it’s just a lie. The oldest lie.
God has been faithful to you your entire life. He isn’t going to stop now. Part of God’s goodness is the fact that He wants you to keep growing. He wants you to understand a deeper truth of who He is as your guide and Shepherd. You can only learn those things in the valley of the shadow of death. But surely God’s goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life.
If you’re in the middle of it…and the lie is starting to sound like truth I have a prayer I want you to pray…
Father, thank you for this opportunity to grow my faith! This challenge reminds me it’s not by might or by power it’s by your Spirit that things happen and change. And in these days of blessings it’s easy to forget that. Thank you for the opportunity to be reminded that everything I have comes from You and belongs to You. You tell me not to be afraid and so I offer you my feeble faith in great anticipation of what You are going to do. I know nothing is too hard or impossible for You. I know You work all things out for good and You’ve never failed me once. Your legacy is one of faithfulness and grace to me. I know this is just another chapter in the great story You are telling through me. I don’t know what I want You to do. I just want what You want because it has always been the best. I wait with eager anticipation for Your will, providence, and goodness to be revealed. Amen.
Here are two songs I love that help remind me of God’s truth.
