I've been thinking about God's goodness...
I've been thinking about God's goodness.
This whole summer I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around trusting in God’s goodness. This is something I desperately want to understand, but I often hear that nagging voice in the back of mind that sounds like this, “if God was really good, would _____ have happened to you?” “Would coronavirus be here?” “Would the USA be so racially divided…?” And the list could go on and on! I can’t imagine that I am the only one who finds myself asking these questions and wrestling with the reality that bad things are happening all around us, sometimes because of us and sometimes even to us, but God is still sovereign and God is always good. This seems strange, doesn’t it?
I have a love/hate relationship with the scripture in Romans 8:28 that tells us that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
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
I love the verse when things are going good, and I am frustrated by it when they aren’t….
If scripture is true, and it is, I think that means we maybe have a different idea of “good” than God does. God’s ultimate good in our lives doesn’t always equate to our immediate desires being met. God’s kingdom is always bigger than our simple comfort. He will one day restore all things, heal all wounds and wipe away all tears, but in the meantime, he is still working good in our lives. We live in the paradox of God’s kingdom that is already here, but not yet in its fullness. That means there will be trouble. There will be pain. There will be confusion, after all, this ain’t heaven yet!
So for now, I leave you with this quote to remember from Katie Davis, a young missionary living in Uganda, “We are not called to be safe; we are simply promised that when we are in danger, God is right there with us. And there is no better place to be than in His hands.” He is with us friends, and that is what makes him good. He is the God of the universe and still he chooses to be with us and care for us and lovingly lead us into a deeper understanding of who he is. When danger comes upon us, or when things we don’t like happen to us, we can confidently say the same words of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his own brothers and held in prison for many years before becoming a ruler in Egypt to redeem his people: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). I doubt Joseph realized what God would do with his setbacks in the moments that they were happening, but good sure did come out of them! God was faithful the whole time.
How might God be working for good in your life right now? It’s probably in a place you would never expect!