“I refuse to sacrifice the revelation that God is always good on the altar of human reason because of my need to make sense of my seemingly unanswered prayer.”
Bill Johnson
“God is good.” I received this response from friends when they heard my cancer was contained and no further treatment was needed after surgery. I am humbled by God’s goodness and kindness He displayed and I’m grateful for the best case scenario. But what if my cancer story had not turned out that way? Would that mean God isn’t good? By no means!
I too have been quick to say, “God is good,” when results have turned out fine. But I want to be more like King David in Psalm 27:13. He penned these words when it looked bleak and his enemies were chasing him down: “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
David knew that eventually, he would see God’s goodness. I’m sure at times he wondered when that would happen and probably became impatient while he waited. We get to know more intimately who God is, when we throw ourselves upon Him and depend on Him during trials. That in itself is encountering God’s goodness.
The outcome doesn’t determine who God is. In reality, God cannot not be good, no matter how things go, because it’s His nature to be good. Therefore, He can’t be anything but good. A woman suffering from breast cancer, wrote in a newsletter: “Our circumstances don’t change who God is; they show us who God is.”
The experience of uterine cancer demonstrated to me all the more, who God is. He’s my comforter when I’m down and frustrated at my lack of energy. He’s my counselor and encourager when my heart struggles. He’s my companion when loneliness tries to set in. He’s my confidant in whom I pour out my heart to and in whom I place my trust.
Do you only say, “God is good,” when life is going the way you wished? Or are you able to declare those three words when you’re in the midst of adversity and your life is turned upside down? Sincere belief that God is good, will carry us above the difficulty into the loving arms of the God, who is good all the time.
“‘God is good.’ More than a positive thought, theological concept or Biblical statement-what you do with these three words defines your reality and determines your destiny.”
Bill Johnson
Relevant Reflections:
How have you seen God’s goodness portrayed during affliction?
Who has God been to you throughout a trial?
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