"God Is So Good!"

I hear it quite often. I see it posted on Face Book with regularity and consistency. I listen as people share testimonies, incorporating it into their discourse. I am sure they are sincere when they say it, and they really mean for it to be taken as a voice of praise and gratitude. And I am sure that more often than not, it is taken just the way they mean it.

What do they say? "Isn't God good?" That's simple enough, isn't it? And, it is so true. There is not an ounce of dishonesty in the statement. It is true to the very core. God is good! All the time!

But there is something conspicuously missing in these testimonies of praise. Very often we see or hear prayer requests for a loved one who is sick, or experiencing financial woes, or family issues, or upcoming surgery, etc. etc. When things work out the way we hope, then we hear the "Isn't God good?" testimonies. But, I have yet to see or hear that phrase used when the prayers aren't answered the way we asked. We are left pondering, perplexed, confused - wondering why, if God is good, did He allow this awful thing to happen!

Well, the fact of the matter is, God is good, all the time!

Our problem is that we often equate the goodness of God with the good things God does. Please reread that last sentence, slowly. Then, add to that the fact that our understanding of good may be a bit different than God's understanding.

Now, this blog is certainly not meant to be a theological think tank, where we deal with the philosophical and theological ramifications and implications of suffering, and how that fits into the "God is good" understanding. But what we do have to understand is the simply amazing truth that God is good, period! Nothing can change that. It is an eternal truth.

So, when I hear the testimony of praise, I want to respond by saying, "But, would God not have been just as good had He not healed your loved one, or brought your loved safely through surgery, or protected your loved one on the mission trip, or brought your wayward son/daughter home," etc. etc. Does God cease to be good when He fails to do "good" to us?

The next time you are faced with a challenging situation, let me encourage you to pray a prayer I read a few years ago by Norwegian theologian Ole Hallesby. I am paraphrasing, but the gist of the prayer is as follows:

"Lord, if it can bring You glory, then please heal Your servant instantly.
But Lord, if it could bring You even more glory, then allow Your servant to remain in his illness for a short period of time.
Still, Lord, if it could result in still greater glory, allow Your servant to bear the pain of this illness for months, or even years to come, as a testimony to Your grace in the midst of the struggle.
And, Lord, if it could possiby result in the greatest glory of all, then call Your servant home.
Not my will, but Your will, be done."

When I first read that, now many years ago, I sat in stunned silence as the weight of the words crushed my infantile faith. My purpose for living is to bring glory to God. Whether He allows what I perceive to be good or bad, it is to be used for His glory. Paul reminds us of the truth that the sufferings of this present life are not even worthy to be compared to the glory that is set before us in Christ Jesus!

So, let us live our lives to His glory. Let us face every obstacle to His glory. Let us face the news, good or bad, in a way that brings Him glory. And let us testify, regardless of the outcome, "God is good, all the time!"